Kingdom Hearts Conquest - Prologue
by Char1es-Magnus
Summary: My Kingdom Hearts Apocrypha series officially begins! Taking place after my KH 3 Alternate Ending, this prologue mini-series sets the events for my first saga, "Conquest". After the defeat of Xehanort, a new threat arises, one that will test the limits of Sora and friend's ideals and convictions, and blur the lines between good and evil, light and darkness.
1. Chapter 1

**It has been 2 years since the defeat of Master Xehanort and Organization 13. Aqua, the new official Grandmaster of the Order of Light, is leading the effort in rebuilding the wielders of the Keyblade with the help of fellow masters Terra, Riku, and Merlin.**

**Despite their efforts to close the doorways to the Lanes Between worlds, a mysterious force has kept the Lanes open for anyone to access, which is concerning for both Aqua's fledgling Order as well as the various worlds still recovering from Xehanort's evil scheme to take control of Kingdom Hearts, a source of infinite power and wisdom.**

**While the Lanes have remained opened, a new figure has emerged – a tyrant leading a great and powerful army has managed to conquer many defenseless worlds, while others have been utterly destroyed…**

Flying through the space in between worlds, Riku and Terra, encased in their Keyblade Armor while flying on their gliders, look on as a world has seemingly been destroyed, now only a husk of its former self. It appeared as if the world had imploded, as colossal amounts of fire erupt from its center through various gargantuan craters. The landscape is Hellish, and it looks as if the what's left of the world will soon crumble away into nothing.

Riku: How the hell were we not aware of this?! Even Merlin couldn't warn us about this in time.

Terra: If Merlin's powers of clairvoyance were that specific, no one would ever have gotten the jump on us. Besides, we're stretched thin as it is, what with the reparations, there's no way we could have saved it in time. We'd have to have at least as many members as there was long ago…

Riku: There's also the issue of the worlds in the next system. They're being taken over by that massive military force. We still don't know where it spread from? Or how we completely missed it all this time?

Terra: Aqua said that Merlin is close to narrowing down their headquarters, but whoever is leading it is very skilled at concealing himself. And I wouldn't exactly say we "missed it", since we've been busy dealing with Xehanort, and recuperating after his defeat. Combine that with our limited numbers, and the fact that the neighboring system is currently outside of our jurisdiction, I can't say I'm too surprised that we didn't see _this_ coming.

Riku pondered Terra's words. He supposed it made sense, even at a time when Aqua, Terra, and Ventus were active, their numbers had dwindled to almost nothing, which was more than enough for Xehanort to act under their noses and get away with all of his plans, including the Unversed epidemic and recruiting members for his Organization. It took over 10 years before they finally figured it out, let alone defeating Xehanort, but not without great cost. As much as Riku hated to admit it, they're still recovering from back then, and are therefore under-equipped to look beyond their current jurisdiction to predict any threats beyond, let alone do something about them.

Terra: Whatever this new threat is, it looks like it came from far away, and at first it was only destroying worlds, possibly in an attempt to flank us, but now, it seems dead-set on conquering them, and it's getting closer…

Those words then haunted both their minds, as the two looked at the corpse of the world, and suddenly become all too aware of the empty black abyss beyond, an empty void of space that carries all worlds enclosed within it, and the two cannot help but feel like something _alive_ lies beyond the darkness. There's a presence they cannot fathom, and the blanket of darkness is sparing them from looking upon its true form, lest they lose their minds by its very appearance. The two then silently agree to report back to the Land of Departure.

Using a small device made for long-distance travel, from the combined efforts of Merlin's magic and Ansem's science, Riku activates the device, and a portal opens. The two went into the portal, and when they emerge, they find themselves back in their own system. The two cannot help but feel a great sense of relief, now that they're back in a place they're familiar with, a place illuminated by familiar worlds that they helped liberate, and their light keeping the darkness at bay. The various ships controlled by heartless have all but disappeared back into the Realm of Darkness, all that remains are the various asteroids and derelict machinations. But maybe someday, the space between will again be populated with life, life forms that will help the Keyblade Wielders stay in touch with each other as they try to secretly watch over the various worlds they plan to take under their care, and prepare them for any potential threats from beyond their borders.

Floating before Terra and Riku was the Land of Departure. The way the worlds appeared in the Lanes Between has changed too. Over the months following Xehanort's defeat, the Order of Light had noticed that the worlds appear less like enlarged snow-globe representations of the lands within, and more like planets, giant spherical bodies floating in endless space. Now when one enters a world, they no longer go through a portal, and emerge into the world, but instead they pass through that world's atmosphere, and descend down onto its surface. Because of this, the space between worlds has grown significantly, making travel that much longer, though thankfully the prototype devices invented by Ansem and Merlin helped cut down travel time enough for them to make several trips in a day if needed, but even then, gone were the days when it would take mere minutes, if not seconds, to go from one world to another.

Riku and Terra descended into the world before them, and finally reached the temple that once was under the care of Xehanort and Eraqus, and is now under the care of Aqua and the young masters, as well as Merlin who had agreed to work with them full-time in order to help figure out all these new developments that the heroes must now face. Merlin was the oldest of the four masters, but argued that Aqua had been a Keyblade Master longer than any other wielder currently living, and so pushed for Aqua to be the Grandmaster, to which the others agreed, and Aqua accepted humbly.

Ω

In the exam room, which was now retrofitted to be a place-holder meeting room for masters, Aqua, Merlin, Riku, and Terra sat at a somewhat large round table, as they discuss the new findings.

Aqua: This could not have happened at a worse time. Things were looking promising when we found some hopeful candidates to take on the Keyblade and took them in, but even if they were all at the Master level, we'd still be too few and too weak to deal with this tyrant that's essentially parked next door.

Merlin: And there's still the issue of the destroyed worlds you two found. How many is that now?

Terra: Six, that we know of anyway. If our approximate measurements accounting for the increase in size are correct, and their current coordinates correspond with the 6 worlds that previously occupied similar space, then we have to assume we've lost Atlantica, Beast's Castle, the Castle of Dreams, the Dwarf Woodlands, the Enchanted Dominion, and Prankster's Paradise.

Riku: Jesus… Right now, it looks like we either resist and face annihilation, or submit to someone that could be just as bad as Xehanort, if not worse, based on how much ground he's already taken over.

Merlin: And _assuming_ this tyrant is also responsible for destroying those worlds, seemingly under our radar, is truly a formidable opponent.

Terra: Who else could be responsible? Whether this is a diversionary tactic, or an attempt to flank us, we don't know of anyone else capable of such feats, we have to assume they're related, which means we have to fortify our defenses, or we'll continue to be crushed from within until the armada arrives.

Merlin: It's just that, based on Archer's reports, and from what I myself have been able to gleam from my clairvoyance, the armada is powerful enough to take over anyone, regardless if they fought back or not. Also, they've been making use of a world's resources once taken over, however minimal. So why go through the trouble of destroying them, especially to _this_ degree?

Terra: To prove a point, maybe? Resistance is futile, or something like that?

Merlin: Perhaps, but then why destroy more than one world? Just seeing **one** would be enough to scare people into submission, and it'd only be a waste of firepower, and it's not like the conquered worlds are having their resources leeched off of them. Despite reports that suggest a tyrannical rule, natural resources from conquered worlds seem to be put to efficient use, while the locals are used as the main workforce.

Aqua: We know what Xehanort is capable of. His heartless wasn't above letting worlds be consumed by darkness, while his nobody took a different approach by attacking the princesses of light, both of which allowed them to reach their final goal. For now we have to assume this tyrant is no different, that he is just as capable of annihilating a world as well as taking it over.

Merlin: A fair assessment. Furthermore, I myself took a stroll and observed the state of earlier dead worlds that Riku and Terra found, to try and find any clues as to who did it, and how, and I found this.

Merlin then reached inside his white cloak, and pulled out what appeared to be some kind of metal device, at first the others thought it was some sort of small box, but upon further inspection, it looked more like a remote. The casing was black, with a red border along the top, and an orange-yellow interface on the top surface with some glowing buttons.

Merlin: This was very damaged when I first found it, so I decided to have it cleaned up and fixed as much as possible, working in tandem with Ansem and his students. Now, look…

Merlin pointed the device away from the group, and pressed one of the buttons. Almost immediately, a BOOM-like sound was heard, and a portal opened up before them. The portal alone gave off an intense aura, and was quite bright, forcing the group to shield their eyes. They couldn't tell what was on the other side, but they heard things, unsettling noises, and the air coming from it felt hot. Merlin then pressed the button again, and the portal closed.

The other young masters, still in shock, turned and faced Merlin.

Riku: That… that's like-

Merlin: The device you two used to get to the dead worlds a great distance away, yes. My servant, Archer, has one too. Ansem and Ienzo used this device here to reverse-engineer and build the one you use, since **this** one we agreed was too dangerous to use until we know more about it. It seems this device has other functions, but so far, opening portals for long-distance travel is all we were able to get it to do for now. I then went to two other dead worlds also found by Riku and Terra, and I found a couple more of these things. They're rather hard to find, but the fact that they were on at least two other dead worlds suggests that whatever decimated those worlds may have used these things to get around.  
Your device, however, is still a prototype, with very limited use. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to open up those portals, and therefore must be recharged for a while after a few uses. But the original device, so far we haven't seen how many times it can open those portals, as it seems to have a limitless amount of energy. Even then, that prototype device, and hopefully more like it, is still safer than using the Corridors of Darkness to get around instantaneously.

Riku: There's also the issue of Traverse Town not manifesting. I thought its purpose was to act as a refugee world for people whose worlds were lost?

Merlin: You're somewhat right. Traverse Town, a mysterious world that at one point appeared to house those who lost their homes to the Heartless, only manifested because of a Heartless attack. The Heartless by nature reside in a dimension that is opposite to our own, and so appearance in our dimension is unnatural, prompting Traverse Town manifested to help those whose homes wouldn't otherwise have been taken away by normal means. Whatever is destroying and/or conquering worlds now, I can only surmise that it originates in our dimension, and not the Realm of Darkness. That's the only explanation I can find as to why we haven't seen that cozy world show up again.

Terra: I can tell you now, in all my travels, I've never seen a device like that, let alone seen the types of portals it opens. That device, and the armada's behavior, seems pretty "unnatural" to me.

Merlin: We still don't know the origins of the device, so let's not be too hasty and jump to conclusions.

Aqua: Well, due to that device's nature, it's best that it's kept somewhere secure, that way no one else can get to it, and on the possibility that it's giving off any transmissions just by being used, we should make sure to utilize areas that are known to cut off any and all signals that we know of, and hope it works on that thing too.

The wizard nodded and gave a slight bow.

Merlin: Understood.

Aqua: Meanwhile, there's honestly not much we can do about the armada heading our way, except prepare for attack as best we can, and that includes recruiting more members. Merlin's servant was also gracious enough to help me with research into worlds closer to us, and in turn, I've compiled a list of promising candidates. Unlike the young students we currently have, this list consists of people of fighting age, adults, already skilled in the arts of their world. In theory their battle prowess should help them pick up on using the Keyblade faster than a child with no fighting experience. This isn't the ideal way of recruiting more members, but unfortunately, we're pressed for time.

Aqua passed a folder to Riku and Terra, and the two read over it. Terra then looks at Merlin.

Terra: Don't you need to look at this too?

Merlin: I've already gone over it.

Aqua: And it seems he's already taken one of the students as his own.

Both Riku and Terra put the report down and faced Merlin with mild surprise.

Riku: Anything **else** you haven't told us yet?

Terra: Who is it?

Merlin: Hey look, I at least told Aqua about the new recruit, and she approved.

Aqua: Though I haven't actually met him myself yet.

Merlin: As for the device, I felt that we needed more information to present to you first, otherwise we'd probably have thought up even crazier theories about what's going on outside our reach.

Aqua: Still, next time you need to tell us sooner when you find things like this, especially since we're now starting to use technology based on that thing.

Merlin conceded her point, and nodded again apologetically.

Merlin: Yes ma'am, I'll be sure to let you in on any new discoveries as soon as I happen upon them.

Terra then spoke up again, this time in a slightly more agitated voice.

Terra: WHO exactly did you take on?

Merlin: Ah, that, well, he's actually in one of the rooms made for the students. I'll take you to him if you want to see him now?

Terra and Riku looked at each other, and then back at him with a scowl.

Terra and Riku: YES

Merlin: Geez! Ok then, let's go.

Riku: We're all masters, so we should ALL be kept in the loop about anything and everything.

Merlin replied to them as they got up and headed to the lower floor.

Merlin: Alright, alright, and like I said, I told Aqua about him, and she approved. I then wanted to spend some more time with him and learn about him before I showed him to you guys.

Terra: Irrelevant.

Riku: We need to know everything, no matter how unimportant it might seem. It's fair that Aqua has the final say, but if we're gonna be meeting up regularly like this, and lead the next generation we need to know things first, as soon as possible, got it?

Merlin: And when exactly was I supposed to let you two know about this? During your space treks?

Riku: Yes, call us on the damn Gummiphone if you have to.

As the four masters walked, Aqua calls out to Riku.

Aqua: What about your friends Sora and Kairi? I know we agreed to respect their wishes to stay on Destiny Islands for a little while, but do you think we could use their help right now? We're gonna need anyone and everyone we can get.

Merlin: YES, please, more babysitters would be nice…

Riku: *sighs* I guess so. After all that's happened, they made it clear they wanted to take a break from all this and spend more time together, but I think they'll understand our situation if we explain it to them. I'll reach out to them once we're done here. Oh, and Terra? What about Ventus-er-Roxas?

Terra: He made it very clear to us that he wanted out of this life. Even if I agreed to hunt him down and bring him back, I don't know where to start looking. Wherever he is, I just hope he's safe, and at peace.

Terra and Aqua both expressed sadness in their faces, the memories of their time with the boy not quite yet at the back of their minds.

Merlin: Buuut I'm certain our prodigious student will be an excellent addition to our Order. He's young, younger than you and Sora were when you first got your Keyblades, Riku, but he's already quite skilled in many weapons, and a formidable warrior in his own right. I can only imagine how powerful he'll become with a Keyblade. Though…. these days he's not much of a talker.

Riku: Why's that?

Merlin didn't answer, instead he displayed a solemn expression of his own. But by now, the group had reached the new recruit's room.

Merlin: Well guys, here we are!

Merlin then knocked on the door, then proceeded to open it. Inside, Riku and Terra saw a young boy, maybe 10 or 12 years old, staring out the window before turning to face them. He appeared human enough, except for his ears, which were somewhat longer and pointier. His attire consisted of a green tunic, and a pointy hat which seemed to hang down the back of his head. The tunic reached the boy's knees, with his bottom legs exposed, except for brown boots covering his feet. The boy also wore a belt, and on his back was some kind of sword and shield.

The boy himself had a very fair appearance and a medium build, with golden-blonde hair and blue eyes, and was quite handsome for his age. Upon seeing two new strangers, he offered them a warm smile, giving off a pleasantly friendly aura. Riku, however, couldn't help but notice faint sadness in his eyes. Both he and Terra also couldn't help but notice his slight similar appearance to Merlin's current choice of look.

Riku: This little fella one of your kind?

Merlin: HA! No, I'm a cambion, a demon-human hybrid. But this guy here, in his world he's referred to as a "Hylian", though don't confuse them with elves, they're not immortal, in fact they age like you guys do. Lady and gentlemens, meet Link!

The boy waved his hand and let out a chuckle, his other hand reaching behind is head to express his bashfulness.

Aqua: OH MY GOD, he's adorable!

Aqua went over to Link and knelt so that they were eye-level, and proceeded to hug the boy, causing him to blush intensely. Riku and Terra looked at each other and groaned, while Merlin merely smiled.

Aqua: Welcome to the Order of Light, young one. We'll be sure to treat you well, and thank you for deciding to join us.

Link gave a slight bow, then stood as he placed one leg behind the other, not sure how to take in all this.

Terra: Well, Merlin had some great things to say about you, I honestly can't wait to see what you're capable of.

Riku: Indeed, why not have a sparring session right now?

Link looked at the two masters, and his expression changed from bashful to confident, responding to their comments with a smirk, indicating that he was accepting their challenge. His change in attitude and confident expression impressed Riku and Terra.

Riku: Oh, I like him already.


	2. Chapter 2

The Destiny Islands, a place that always seems to be unaffected by the events surrounding it, save for the one time it was destroyed, the night Sora first started his journey.

The main island contains a fairly large town, some notable buildings include the Mayor's Mansion where Kairi lives, the school where all children and teenagers attend, and Sora's house. The mainland also has a small beach with a dock, containing boats that either fishermen use, or for kids that like to visit the smaller surrounding islands.

One of the smaller islands is a special place for Sora and Kairi, as well as their close friends. It was this island that Sora and Riku first encountered Kairi when she washed ashore; where Sora and Kairi confessed their feelings for each other in a secret cave; and where Sora found the door to the world's heart, a door that must be protected at all times.

Sora and Kairi waved to Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie, who usually head back to the mainland first, leaving Sora and Kairi alone to enjoy the sunset. Their weekend routines have usually gone like this, with the small group of friends spending as much time on the small island as possible, provided they spent some time on school work as well. But those days were soon ending. They weren't kids anymore, the obligations of adulthood were looming ever closer, and the simple days of fun and ignorance would eventually fade into nostalgia. But it didn't all have to be so melancholy, as their absence can make way for a new generation of children, imagining their own grand adventures, and keep the group's unofficial tradition alive.

Sora and Kairi now sit on the bent tree, their heads leaning on one-another, their hands locked in an intimate embrace, as they stare at one of the last sun-sets they'll every see from this island's point of view.

Kairi: It didn't really dawn on me until today that we may be spending much less time here. Selphie and I almost teared up when we started talking about it… I don't want to imagine how hard it'll be on the last day of school, when we graduate, and start out the next phase of our lives.

Sora: I know. Playing blitzball with the guys helped distracted me a bit, but honestly I was aching inside. This place is more important to me than I admitted, and now it feels like I won't even get to see it again, even though we can still see it from home. But maybe… it doesn't have to be so bad.

Sora lifted is head to look at Kairi, and she did the same to him.

Sora: It's not like we're all leaving or anything, we'll still see each other as we go about our jobs, the mainland is thankfully small enough that we'll never be out of touch, since everybody knows everybody. We can still have family gatherings every now and then, taking turns who hosts. And maybe…

Sora couldn't help but blush as he looks into Kairi's eyes.

Sora: Maybe we can take our kids here one day, to show them around. At least we'd have one more day to spend here.

Kairi: I'd like that very much, Sora. And it all sounds wonderful, the way you say it.

The two share a kiss, before looking on at the horizon, the sun now having completely sunk into the sea, only its faint rays persisting in the foreboding night sky.

Sora: I'm terrified, but… I'm glad you'll be with me.

Kairi: And I'm not letting go this time.

Now that the night sky has taken over, the two head for their boat.

Kairi: So, what do you think you wanna do? Afterwards, I mean?

Sora: Well, you think I could make it as a cop?

Sora said so with a silly grin, and Kairi couldn't help but chuckle.

Kairi: Hee hee! You, in law enforcement? You're not quite as scary-looking as the other adults that kept us kids in check.

Sora: You think so? Well, I might not be scary, but I think we both know I qualify for it!

Sora raised an arm and flexed it, and Kairi chuckled all the more.

Kairi: I'm sure the kids will like you best, and look up to you when something goes wrong.

Kairi then leaned in close to Sora as she held his other arm, and rested her head on his shoulder as they reached the boat.

Sora: What do you wanna do?

Kairi: Hmmm, I don't know… maybe work as a nurse or doctor? I want to help people, and healing them is something I've come to really like. You and Riku really went out of your way to save me, as well as other people too. I know you two could take care of yourselves, and magic made it easier to heal yourselves, but maybe now I can help others as well, others that can't defend themselves like we can.

Sora: Then it's settled, I'll cover us on the front lines, while you've got our backs.

Kairi: Deal

Ω

With the two now back on the mainland, having tied their boat at the dock, Sora walks Kairi back to her house, the somewhat large mansion that belongs to Kairi's adoptive father, the Mayor. While he has given his blessing to Sora when they decided to tell him of their relationship, they were especially surprised and glad on how warmly he accepted Sora. Even though the Mayor expects Sora to take on a job of sufficient status on the mainland, he wasn't too judgmental or harsh as one would expect of the girlfriend's dad, especially when he is the figurehead of the town. Sora figured he was that way because of the way Kairi mentioned Sora to her father beforehand, but also because of what happened with Sora's parents…

The two now reached the fenced gate to the mansion. Before Kairi went inside, they shared one more passionate kiss. The two nearly forgot to breath, as when they finally parted their lips, they were panting, but this didn't bother either of them. If anything, they found it harder to part ways, even for a night. But soon, the two would be living together, and they can spend every night with each other after a hard day's work.

At least, that was the plan.

Sora opened the gate for Kairi, and closed it once she passed through. The two gave each other another look, their fingers interlocked through the fence bars, then parted. Kairi waved at Sora, and he waved back as he stood there waiting for her to enter the house. Once she disappeared inside, Sora forced himself to head back to his own house, where he now lived only by himself.

He never told anyone this, but he still knocks on the door when he arrives, and announces that he's home. But no one is there to answer, and the house is always dark, since Sora usually leaves early in the day, and there's no one else to turn on the lights.

The house itself is presentable enough, as Sora does take some time out of his day to clean, do chores, manage the wall paint and the roof, and keep a cozy appearance inside and out. If Kairi were to move in with Sora, while it would be a downgrade from her mansion, the house was by no means an ugly little shack. Like when his parents were… around, the house had a modest but welcoming appearance, as comfy as one would expect of an affordable beach house. Sora had many memories of him and Riku playing in his room when they didn't go to the small island, and how the two would stare out the window beside Sora's bed talking about how small their world might be part of a larger universe. While Sora felt the scale in Riku's words, he always felt comfy inside his room, in his house with his parents…

The day the Heartless attacked their world, there were many casualties. There were those that were turned into Heartless, those of which Sora and the others managed to bring back with their Keyblades; but there were others that were beyond saving, those that were killed during the attack…. No matter how much power Sora accumulated, he couldn't bring them back. His father was the chief of the law enforcement, and therefore worked a lot with the Mayor, while his mother worked at a shelter for children and the homeless, the place where Sora first met Riku when his mother brought him in one day. Sora likes to think that it was his father's duty to the law, and his mother's compassion for those in need, that made Sora who he was.

Riku never talked much about his parents, but one time, one of the neighboring islands a fair distance away from Sora's had an incident, a fire that spread and consumed everything. That island was more industrial, and traded with many other islands including Sora's. Riku was among the survivors that was brought to shore on lifeboats, though he wasn't accompanied by anyone claiming to be his parents.

On the day Sora and Riku returned to Destiny Islands after their battle with Xemnas, Sora would later find out from Kairi after their reunion that his parents was among many that didn't come back after the worlds were rejuvenated from darkness. Sora broke down of course, and his friends were there for him, but now, Sora did everything he could to be out of his house, anything to distract him from how lonely he's become. He's told nobody else, not even Kairi, because he worried if they all saw him now, a husk of his usually vibrant self, with dark and depressing thoughts rushing through his mind… no, he wouldn't let anyone see this side of himself. He'd be damned before he showed his worst side in front of others…

Once Sora had turned on the lights, and changed into his nightly clothes, which merely consisted of him in boxers and nothing else, he then prepared dinner for himself. At the end of the month, his mother would make him his favorite food for dinner, and this was one of those weeks. Normally, he and his father would go out grocery shopping, and Sora was giddy every time they picked each ingredient, knowing what they would all become once cooked. Sometimes Sora's mouth would drool, and his eyes sparkle when they shopped. It took him a while to learn how to cook it all on his own, since his mother didn't use a specific recipe, but an improvised method after years of practice and love. But Sora eventually managed to figure it out, after spending some time with Remy the Rat in Twilight Town.

He then sat in the dining room, all alone, with the delicious food in front of him. After a shuttering breath, he took a bite….

It was good, almost good enough to lift his spirits.

After he finished, he cleaned the dishes, brushed his teeth, and went to bed, but didn't fall asleep just yet. It was a warm night, but Sora liked keeping the window open, he liked the sound of the waves, and the sound of seagulls, they were all soothing to him. He also liked the smell of seawater, something he'd come to miss whenever he travelled with Donald and Goofy. Finally, sleep was taking him, and Sora surrendered to the sound of sand blowing in the wind, as if someone had scooped some up and allowed it to fly out of his hand…

Ω

From her window, Kairi saw the lights from Sora's house go out. It sat there all on its own, at the edge of the town, and Kairi couldn't help but wonder how lonely Sora must be. She has offered to stay the night a few times, but Sora always rejected the offer, instead suggesting they spend the night in her room instead, or stay out late before walking her back.

She realized that it wasn't like Sora to want to be alone, he's the kind of guy that people gravitate towards, the guy that thrives on making friends and staying around them. But now, Kairi wondered if Sora was punishing himself for something. She then remembered how happy he always was when they travelled to other worlds, how carefree he was when Donald and Goofy were by his side. Did he feel bad for enjoying himself this whole time? All while his parents were….

Kairi: Oh Sora….

She lowered her face in sadness and concern, then returned to her room and turned her lights off.

Ω

The whole town was asleep now, everyone blissfully ignorant and vulnerable in their homes, all but one man, a traveler from another world who emerged from a diamond-shaped blue portal that appears to have been sliced open, over by the dock of the island. A foreigner invading this quaint and peaceful island, what made this man especially stand out from the island was his attire: a long, silver buttoned blue coat with three separated coattails. Underneath the coat, the main wore a navy-blue ascot wrapped around his neck, which hung over a black, sleeveless vest that revealed his well-toned arms and shoulders, and also wore finger-less gloves.

As for his features, the man had fair, yet pale skin; white, swept-back spiky hair, putting emphasis on his fierce yet stoic expression. His eyes were ice blue, and with him he a single sword tucked in its scabbard. It was a katana-like weapon with an ornate bronze guard-handle, while the black scabbard featured a blue Sageo cord that normally is used to tie the weapon to the wielder's waste, but the man appeared to insist carrying the sheathed weapon in his hand. The man then marched into the island.

He looked around and observed the quiet and empty streets, in his mind this place was completely open to attack, it'd honestly be a shame if anything tragic befell this town.

Man: Hmph, the coziness of this place is honestly quite irritating…

Ω

Voice: Hmmmm, it seems you need to wake up now.

Sora's eyes immediately burst open, and he felt an ominous sensation. He had the most bizarre dream….err, but he couldn't quite remember what it was. Was there a man talking to him in it? A tall, skinny man, with a low voice, and sand….

Anyway, that feeling Sora got when he woke up got stronger, and it he felt like he needed to go to the dock. He looked around for a shirt, and threw on a tank-top and some sandals, then jumped out his bedroom window and rushed into town.

He had almost reached the dock before he stopped, the bad feeling he got didn't go away, but instead it… moved, like it was closer now, like it was…. right here. It wasn't the same feeling Sora got when something appeared behind him and Kairi on the beach 2 years ago, before everyone temporarily went their separate ways, but it was nonetheless unsettling and malicious. Sora looked around, trying to find someone, anyone suspicious, and hoped he wouldn't find a Heartless, or worse…

Man: Are you Sora?

Sora turned and found the man standing on top of a house, and was sure he was the source of this bad feeling. Looking at the man, Sora couldn't help but notice the striking similarities between him and that Archer servant that worked for Merlin, only with a blue color-palette and lighter skin tone.

Man: The "key that connects everything"?

Sora: Who's asking?

Sora got into a fighting stance and summoned his Keyblade, while the man jumped down from the house and slowly walked towards him.

Man: My name is Vergil, though I come on behalf of Emperor Doom who sent me to give you a message.

Sora: Oh? He couldn't have just called and left the message?

Vergil ignored Sora's witty comment and continued.

Vergil: He says that he's grateful for all the work you did, for dispatching Xehanort and his Organization. There's no doubt that your friends have finally caught wind of us, as they inevitably would, so I'm only going to say this once: either join us and save us all the trouble of a battle, or stay out of our way, and we promise to leave this world alone. As a sign of gratitude for all you've done, Emperor Doom is willing to leave your home out of his conquest, and will ensure that no one else tries to attack it.

Sora: Huh, well, tell this "Doom" guy thanks for acknowledging my work, and for taking us into consideration, but you lost me at "conquest". While I did ask to take a break from Keyblade-ing, I can't just stand by while you go around taking over worlds, I mean, who do you guys think you are, anyway? On what or who's authority are you doing this?

Vergil: Oh, we have the **highest** authority.

Vergil then un-sheaths the sword from its scabbard, and gets into a battle stance, with both of his arms spread out. Sora gets ready for any kind of attack Vergil will throw at them.

Vergil: I take it diplomacy has failed, then?

Sora: You take it correctly.

Vergil then turns his sword-hand vertical, and stabs the ground, causing an explosion on all sides. Sora jumps out of the way, then while still mid-air, glides towards Vergil. He jumps out of the way as soon as Sora reaches him, then pounces on Sora just as he landed where Vergil stood. But Sora manages to counter Vergil's strike by activating Reflega.

Sora: DEFENSE!

Vergil was caught off guard when his sword struck the sphere-like barrier, and was immediately met with several large explosions, causing minor wounds, but nonetheless put him on guard.

Sora then lunged at him, and just as Sora was about to meet Vergil's blade, Sora did a Reversal reaction similar to when dealing with Dusk nobodies, and zipped behind him.

Impressed with his speed, Vergil casually summons various blue ethereal swords that begin to spin rapidly around him, with the blades pointing outward. Sora gets cut by one of the swords, then barely blocks the next sword with his Keyblade, before retreating. The way the swords spun around Vergil made for a great defense, preventing anyone from getting too close. He also hated that the fight took place right in the middle of town, but before he could come up with a way to lure Vergil out to the beach for a less destructive fight, the invader summoned more swords, this time hovering above him, all their blades pointing toward Sora.

Vergil: You really should pay more attention to the enemy in front of you, regardless of who might be nearby. Any casualties that occur today are the result of you and your actions here and now. Nobody needs to get hurt, but it seems you'd rather risk their lives for your pride.

The swords then fly through the air, one immediately after the other, with frightening speed towards Sora, who manages to block the first couple before being forced to strafe to the side, avoiding all but one which managed to stab him in the lower leg.

Sora winces in pain, but again before he is able to even look at his wound, he notices Vergil's appearance briefly take on a more demonic form, who then proceeds to rush to Sora by performing his powerful Judgement Cut, unleashing a devastatingly wide area of multiple slashes in the air, before reaching Sora, who blocks Vergil's last attack with his Keyblade, only to be lunged backwards to a house. But Sora notices the destruction left behind by Vergil, the slashed houses, and the screams beginning to fill the air from frightened and confused civilians. Sora then turns his eyes to Vergil, now human-looking again, furious at this man's complete disregard for innocent people.

Sora: YOU BASTARD!

Vergil: That's all on you, boy. But you still have a chance to change your mind. I don't have to tell Doom that you initially resisted, and you can still save your people by submitting to us, or at least agree to not interfere.

Sora took this opportunity to punch Vergil, by loosening his grip on their hold, risking slight injury from Vergil's sword that was previously being blocked, and managed to land a solid hit right on his face. With Vergil slightly disoriented, Sora decided to cast spells while he still stood next to him.

Sora: THUNDER!

Vergil quickly recovered and jumped back, avoiding several large thunder bolts striking the ground, causing several things to catch on fire, and wiped a small drop of blood from his mouth. He looked at Sora, and was again impressed at the boy's tenacity. Sora then struggled to stand himself up, and quickly cast a healing spell, using the rest of his magic energy, and thus forcing him to rely only on physical attacks for a short time; since he did not expect a prolonged battle, didn't have any ether with him.

Sora: Don't you DARE try to blame this on me! **You're** the one who came here, uninvited, and started attacking and destroying things. There's no way I can turn a blind eye to someone like you, let alone join you!

Vergil: As one of the Keyblade wielders of this sector, you have the highest authority of anyone present, so any decision **you** make, the consequences fall upon **you**, for better or worse. Me? Right now, I'm just the messenger, relaying a message.

All Sora's thinking about is trying to find a way to force Vergil out of the town, then beating him senseless. As they stood, people started coming out of their houses, wondering what was all the commotion. Some were already hysterical at the damage their houses endured, and from what Sora could hear, there were already casualties. This wasn't good, with people in the way, it would be even harder to fight Vergil.

Ω

Kairi woke to the sound of explosions and ruckus outside, and rushed to the opened window. She was wearing a high-cut sleeveless tank-top that only barely covered her breasts, and panties as well. The heat, you know?

Outside, she saw several small fires, destroyed houses, and what appeared to be Sora and another person she didn't recognize, standing at the center of all the chaos.

Kairi threw on a white dress and her pink shirt over it, a pair of pink tennis-shoes, and opened a moogle-themed chest beside her bed that contained some eithers and potions. She then jumped out her window that was several stories above the ground, gracefully landing on the grass. In the background she heard her father say something along the lines of "What in tarnation is going on out there?!"

Kairi dashed to where the destruction was most severe, and saw several people standing outside their houses, acting hysterically, yelling, and some holding onto loved ones that appeared severely injured, with cuts and blood all over. She finally spotted Sora and rushed to him, noting he looked a little worn out.

Kairi: What's happened here?

Sora: HE happened…

He pointed to Vergil who calmly stood by. Kairi then summoned her keyblade and got into a combat stance.

Kairi: Can you still fight?

Sora: I still need just a little more time to use magic again, but yeah.

Kairi: Then use that time to get this people out of here. I'll draw him off to make sure he doesn't try and hurt anybody, ok?

Sora was hesitant, but then nodded.

Sora: Just give me a couple of minutes, and I'll be right back, ok?

Kairi looks into his eyes as they filled with worry, and nods back with confidence.

Kairi: Ok.

Sora then retreated and began to lead the people away from the fight and towards the hospital a few blocks away. Kairi swung her Keyblade as she faced Vergil.

Vergil: So now a Princess of Light joins the fray? Not exactly royalty behavior, is it?

Kairi: Well, a mayor's daughter isn't exactly a princess, but I can't stand by while my people suffer from you.

Vergil: There are reports on you, and for the most part they were quite underwhelming, until your last battle that is. I'm not here to kill anyone, not yet anyway, though if I have to capture you to get that boy to stand down, so be it.

Kairi chuckled at his threat and began to unzip her pink shirt as she walked towards him.

Kairi: You're certainly welcome to try.

As she let her shirt fall to the ground, her shoes changed into white heels, complementing her white dress. She raised her hand, and from it a single feather blew out. Vergil watched defensively as she summons her keyblade and slices at the feather, unleashing a torrent of wind in all directions. The cut feather transformed into various multi-colored petals, all of which then gathered behind her, converging into a small singularity. Kairi swung her Keyblade once more, and as she did so, her hair changed from its trademark red to a shiny blonde, and her Keyblade changed into a form resembling that of the Two-Become-One Keyblade, only with a translucent diamond appearance. From behind her, multiple gunblade-like constructs emerged from the singularity, and hovered behind her as if they were wings, giving Kairi an angelic appearance.

Vergil pounced at her, and in response Kairi jumped back. As the two flew mid-air, Vergil unleashed a series of strikes and jabs, all deflected by Kairi. Their blades met again and locked, and Kairi, using her new flying capabilities, pushed Vergil backwards. Vergil casually somersaulted back and landed on his feet, before firing off several summoned swords towards Kairi.

Still in the air, Kairi avoided the swords and glided towards Vergil, who managed to catch her attack with his sword and held his ground. With his free hand, he reached back and grabbed another sword that materialized, the Force Edge, and swung it over-head down onto Kairi, but her gun-blades shifted and blocked his sword, slightly startling Vergil.

With her own free hand, Kairi motioned and the swords swung around and tried to stab Vergil from below, but Vergil managed to leap upwards to avoid the assault. As he remained mid-air, he summoned more swords that rained down onto Kairi, only to for her to swing her Keyblade and her gun-blades to deflect Vergil's storm of swords.

Vergil: Tch

Once he was upright, he kicked downwards, and while dual-wielding his swords, unleashed a flurry of strikes onto Kairi. As she met his blades with own, she summoned another Keyblade, this one resembling the Oblivion, only with the edges of its bladed coated in a blood-red hue. The two met each other's dual-wielding strikes almost synchronously, while Vergil's summoned swords clashed with her gun-blades.

Kairi then willed the blades to swing overhead and strike Vergil while she locked him in place, and he was forced to briefly abandon one of his swords and used his katana, Yamato, to block the onslaught, pushing him back.

With some space between them now, Kairi willed one of her gun-blades to fire a crimson beam at Vergil, who reacted in time by rolling out of the way. Kairi fired a few more shots, but Vergil managed to deflect them with his Yamato. He fired two more summoned swords, but Kairi's gun-blades formed a shield-like barrier and tanked the hits, before quickly flowing back behind her.

When Kairi looked and saw that Vergil was no longer a few yards away from her, she quickly noticed him above her, and pounced down onto the ground. Kairi leaped back, and as she did so, Vergil grabbed his other sword, the Force Edge, and once again assumed a dual-wielding form.

Kairi motioned another sword to hover beside her, and with a hip-sway, the sword disappeared, and then reappeared beside Vergil, dashing towards him before being deflected. Kairi swayed her hips a few more times, this time making her gunblades fly directly through the air towards Vergil. He managed to deflect the first two, but the third hit the ground just in front of him, and exploded, knocking Vergil back.

Kairi did a final motion with her hips, and her remaining blades flew in all directions and disappeared, followed by them materializing and surrounding Vergil. With a twirl of his swords, Vergil valiantly deflected the storm of swords that dashed towards him, not allowing a single one to pierce his body.

Vergil: Two can play at this game.

As he fended off the gun-blades, Vergil's summoned swords materialized around Kairi, their blades pointing towards her. Just as she noticed them, they briefly spun around her, then they all simultaneously lunged inward, though Kairi used her own two Keyblades and spun around, deflecting the attack.

With she was occupied, Vergil leaped upward and in an instant, his two swords dematerialized, but in their place, he was now armed with gauntlets and grieves, his Beowulf attire. Vergil assumed a an over-head kick stance, and lunged his leg back down like a meteor onto Kairi. Seeing this, she threw her black Keyblade in the air to intercept the attack, causing a massive explosion.

Ω

Now that the civilians had reached the hospital, Sora's magic had since then fully rejuvenated, filling him with a renewed sense of vigor. With it, he quickly dashed back to his house and stocked up on some ether and potions. He cursed himself for not thinking ahead, but the damage was done. He wasn't about to let Kairi take on this intruder solo any longer.

The two may have neglected to join Aqua's Order of Light temporarily, but they decided to at least have occasional spar sessions in order to prevent their skills from atrophying. While Kairi perfected her transformation, Sora managed his own.

He jumped out of his bedroom window, taking advantage of the open space outside, and after summoning the Ultima Keyblade, Sora began assuming his Ultimate Form. Sora spun in-place while a magic ornate circle materialized below him. Sora raises his Keyblade into the air as four beams of light spiral around him, meeting at the hilt of the Keyblade, causing a heart symbol to briefly appear. The sides of the hilt grow dramatically larger, followed by the rest of the keyblade, which then started to glow from the center. The giant keyblade spins and folds into itself, and a multitude of swords rises from the ground where the circle was summoned. Sora's blade now appears longer and leaner, with a rainbow-like color palette.

His clothes took on a black and white color, with his pants assuming a zebra pattern, and crowns adorned the sleeves on his jacket. With that, he flew into the direction where he sensed Kairi and Vergil.

Ω

As the smoke cleared, Kairi summoned her black Keyblade back to her, and saw that Vergil had punched the ground with no visible wounds. He then stood up and faced her.

Vergil: My my, you certainly haven't disappointed. I can't exactly call this an over-compensation in your performance, considering how lackluster you reportedly were before.

Kairi: I was done standing on the sidelines while Sora and Riku did all the dirty work, it wasn't fair to them to be pushed that hard without me being able to help them. This is the fruit of my training, and now I'm able to keep up with them, I owed them that much.

Just then, the two noticed Sora quickly closing in on them, tackling Vergil and hurling him off onto one of the surrounding islands.

Sora and Vergil then crash-landed onto another island, the two lying beside one another. As they got up, Sora started to realize where they landed. The island of so many memories of their youth, the island that Sora was hoping to visit a few more times before adulthood took over. As much as he hated to use this place as the battleground to deal with Vergil once and for all, it was still better than fighting on the mainland.

Sora turned to face Vergil, who had also risen to his feet, and noticed that this time he was equipped with gauntlets and grieves, but no sword.

Sora: That's new. Kairi didn't break your sword, did she?

Vergil: I read about your stubbornness in Doom's files, but they still didn't do you justice. Clearly, you abandon all reason and would rather fight than choose the safer path, even at the expense of others.

Sora: I gave up trying to fight once, it was one of the worst feelings of my life. The helplessness, the despair, I don't ever want to feel that again. If I give up now, I'll only hate myself for the rest of my life, wishing I did something. I'd rather go down fighting than live like a quitter!

Sora pointed his Keyblade towards Vergil.

Vergil: Hmm, I suppose that's admirable, from a warrior standpoint. In fact, I sympathize with you, I also could never yield, for how could I face the ones I cared about most when I tell them that I gave up without a fight? That's why I continue to fight, to gain more power, because I **need** more power.

Sora: Well, my **friends** are **my** power! Everything I went through, I did so because of their help. And now, here you are telling me you're going to take over their homes? That's exactly why I can't let you fly on passed me to get to them! There's no way I'd be selfish enough to stand by while you attack them!

Vergil: Then you must get stronger, Sora. Become the mightiest of all, beyond the point where you no longer need your friends to fight your battles.

Sora: LIKE HELL I WILL! I don't make my friends fight my battles, they fight alongside me! Someone who only cares about power and might can never understand that.

Vergil: MIGHT CONTROLS EVERYTHING! Without it…. Without strength, you cannot protect anything…let alone yourself.

That last remark surprised Sora, who didn't expect to hear something like that from Vergil, who as far as Sora knew was an invader out to destroy his home. But his statement suggested that he wasn't out for conquest, but to protect someone else. Suddenly, Sora felt like he understood why Vergil was trying so hard to get him to yield even now, after he and Kairi already fought so hard against him. He couldn't forgive Vergil for the innocents he injured in that last big attack, but Sora started changing the way he perceived Vergil.

Sora: Is that what you did? Did you surrender to this Emperor Doom? Were you not strong enough to defy him, and so you felt it was better to join him? Otherwise he'd do something bad to someone you cared about?

Vergil's eyes squinted at Sora's question. Sora barely lowered his blade, but still kept a stance that denied any openings.

Sora: I don't know who you are, where you come from, or who this Doom is that you serve, but if there's one thing I learned from fighting Xehanort or Maleficent, it's that no one is pure evil, and you reminded me of that. So I say again: thanks but no thanks. If you're gonna try and take over worlds that we watch over, then you're about to find out just how big of a mistake that is. If you know who I am, then you know who I've beaten, so are you really sure you wanna take me on?

Vergil stared at Sora and let out a soft chuckle, before preparing to fight again. Before the two could clash, Kairi landed on the ground, between Vergil and Sora, rising and standing beside the latter.

Sora: Sorry I was late.

Kairi: Not at all, I finally got to show off my moves.

Sora: Damn! I hate that I missed your transformation, you always looked beautiful when you did that.

Kairi: Sora, not now!

She playfully nudged Sora, and the two laughed, before they faced Vergil, who stood there patiently, brushing off the sand from his coat.

Sora: Hey, is it just me, or does he look-

Kairi: Like Archer?

Sora: Yeah, that guy.

Kairi: Hmm, I suppose he kinda does.

Sora: By the way, I lead as many people as I could to safety before I was able to join you. Many were badly wounded, but luckily there weren't any deaths.

Kairi: Really? Thank God…

Vergil: Of course there wasn't. I may be part demon, and proud of my demon heritage, but I'm not a murderer, even if I've worked with murderers. I only kill people who can fight back.

Again, this surprised Sora, but Kairi remained on alert.

Kairi: Is that supposed to justify what you did?

Vergil: Not at all, it was supposed to make a point, a declaration of war if you will. You've chosen to fight back, and so Doom shall come for you all.

Vergil then began emanating blue energy, the pressure causing a torrent of wind. He then underwent his own transformation, a sight that Sora and Kairi couldn't help but find intimidating. Vergil now had two massive horns that curved inward towards his face, which was now unrecognizable and truly monstrous. His coat was replaced by a rock-like wings which, when folded down appeared more like a cape. He glowed with a blue aura, almost as if he was on fire.

Vergil then lunged at the two of them, with Sora barely managing to block another punch from Vergil's gauntlets, however he found himself locked in Sora's counter. Kairi took this opportunity to strike Vergil from above while he was occupied with Sora. She jumped over Sora and thrusted her gun-blades down toward Vergil. Unable to release himself from the hold, he teleported away, causing Kairi to hit nothing but sand inches away from Sora.

It took the two a moment to notice Vergil a short distance away from them, closer to the ocean. He then summoned more swords, this time far more numerous than before, and unleashed them onto the two. Sora swung his sword, and a torrent of white blades surrounded them, defending them from Vergil's swords.

Sora and Kairi then pounced at Vergil side-by-side, who managed to block both of their Keyblades with each of his hands, then lowers them before kicking Sora and Kairi with his greaves, knocking the two sideways.

Vergil then went after Sora. Kairi noticed this and tried to recover quickly, but before she could reach them, Vergil this time summoned a doppleganger clone that went straight for her. Kairi had no choice but to deal with the clone before helping Sora out.

As that happened, Sora managed to recover onto his feet by flipping backwards just as Vergil attempted to punch the ground where he lay. Vergil didn't let up, as he proceeded with vigorous punches and kicks, forcing Sora on the defensive and blocking them all. Vergil wasn't about to let him counter or cast any spells, but he was impressed at how he was able to keep up with him in his demon form.

Vergil then decided to increase the power in his attacks, he lifted his left foot high in the air, then with tremendous force, lunged it down onto Sora's keyblade, breaking through his block and knocking him back. With Sora knocked onto the ground again, Vergil then spun in a vertical manner, turning him into a kind of human-sized spinner, and flew towards Sora. But Sora recovered faster than Vergil anticipated, and cast Blizzaga on Vergil, freezing him in place.

Sora then unleashed various attacks onto the demon, spinning and twirling acrobatically while air-borne, with nearly every swing of his sword accompanied by various blades of light that add upon Sora's each individual attack.

With all the damage Vergil is undertaking, his doppleganger dematerialized, allowing Kairi to tag-team with Sora by adding her storm of gun-blades to Sora's own, with Vergil now caught in a hurricane of sword-combos, before Sora and Kairi finally finish the combo together by motioning all the blades with their hands to fly in all directions, which then converged where Vergil hovered. After squinting his demonic eyes and gasping, a massive explosion resulted from all the blades striking the space he occupied.

Sora and Kairi's transformations ceased, and the two appeared exhausted from all the energy expended in the fight. The dust settled, and the two couldn't see Vergil's body, and assumed (or hoped) that he was completely destroyed. But behind them, Vergil stood, having managed to teleport away at the last second, though he has clearly taken damage, and had also reverted to his normal form.

Vergil: Impressive, most impressive.

Sora and Kairi turned backward, startled. Despite clearly exhausted, the two summoned their Keyblades again, prepared to fight for their lives, but Vergil's stance changed to one without aggression, and spoke again.

Vergil: It seems we'll have to finish this another time. You two put up quite the fight, but in all honesty there's nothing that this world offers that is of any value to us. You two were the only factors worth looking into. Even if we overlooked your home entirely, you would've inevitably gotten involved regardless, but Doom insisted on scouting here first. That said, I cannot promise against retribution for tonight, even if only out of spite. May we meet again on the battlefield.

Vergil then turned away from them, de-summoning his Beowulf armor and re-summoned Yamato. He swung his sword vertically then horizontally, slicing open another portal like the one he first emerged from.

Sora: Hold it!

But it was too late. Vergil had entered the portal, and disappeared.

Sora and Kairi then looked at each other, dreading what's to come.

Unknown to them, a small machine resembling an insect of some kind, with a camera lens for an eye, appeared to have watched the battle. After Vergil's departure, it flies off into the sky, along with several other similar machines spread out among the islands. They then converge at a mountain peak on the mainland, where a mechanical tower-like construct seemingly draws the insect machines to it, before folding in on itself and vanishing into thin air.


	3. Chapter 3

Terra and Link appeared to be pretty exhausted, but still the master pressed the new apprentice, and still the apprentice persisted. Aqua, Riku, and Merlin, as well as several other students watched as one of their latest members proved to be a prodigy in weapons, even if he was still somewhat lacking in magic. While the boy's magic satchel (a bag that's bigger on the inside) contained a variety of weapons, many of which were magical to some degree, it was clear the boy had an affinity for melee and ranged combat than spells, with few exceptions such as when he used some sort of teleportation ability to evade an attack, or when he conjured up a kind of diamond-shaped barrier against Terra's meteor spell, but even then, Link used those kinds of abilities sparsely, and with some difficulty as he attempted to pull them off.

The other young male students watching were amazed at Link's ability to keep up with Terra, while the female students, clearly attracted to Link, cheered him on.

Aqua: I gotta say, even though I was initially hesitant to put this child through such trials so soon, he has shown to be quite gifted. He still needs polishing, of course, but as it stands now, he's quite adaptable, and would make a great team member when going out on group missions.

Riku: It seems we got lucky with this diamond among the rubble of students we have. When Merlin found this kid, it seemed he had already dealt with a lot, so his combat prowess does give him a head start over the other kids.

Merlin: Even then, though he might appear combat-ready, I'd be weary of putting him in a crowd, at least for now.

Riku and Aqua then faced Merlin in confusion, and that remark reminded Riku of something Merlin said earlier.

Riku: You said this kid isn't much of a talker, these days anyway. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that implies something happened to him that rendered him a mute, and I don't mean that a literal curse was placed on him to be less chatty.

Aqua: In that case, you think he was traumatized somehow?

Riku: I think that's what Merlin implied.

Aqua: Why is that? We've been observing him, and he's been nothing but a sweet and friendly boy, happily humoring you and Terra's attempts at testing him. I'll admit, he hasn't directly spoken to us so far, but I haven't seen anything that indicates trauma of any kind.

Riku: So what's the deal?

Merlin continues to look on at the sparring match, his expression neutral. After a moment, he faces Aqua and Riku.

Merlin: Have you two heard of the expression, "Those with the happiest smiles hide the saddest stories"?

Both shook their head.

Merlin: I suppose not, which is ironic since the two of you ought to understand that more than most people to some degree. Most of you may have moved on, but nonetheless, everyone here had to go through a lot not too long ago, and despite getting through it all together, are you really going to tell me that you still don't dwell on it? Don't still feel haunted by it? Despite the way you present yourself to others?

Riku started to understand, his expression now one of slight guilt, while Aqua looked at them with a similar face. Yes, they had won the fight, and yes, they had each other to fall back on, making it easier to heal, but still, Riku hadn't entirely forgiven himself for being so easily manipulated, nor Aqua for failing to act as a master should have.

Merlin: Not all of us handle it like champs, I mean, look at Roxas, though I don't blame him. That poor boy's got several people inside his head right now, not all of whom are willing to share that space. But Riku, when was the last time you saw Sora?

Riku flinched at the question.

Merlin: He's probably the happiest person you know, right? How many times has he smiled in the face of danger, seen the brighter side in even the darkest of people, and conjured hope in the most hopeless of situations? But have you seen him when he's by himself lately? _Truly_ alone? He thrives on others, relies on others in more ways than he himself admits, but alone, he's probably the one of the most miserable people I've ever seen in a while.

Riku: Bullshit, I know Sora, longer and better than anyone here, and I've seen him at his worst. He's had it bad, I won't argue with that, but he's not-

Merlin: You **think** you know him, but you only know the person as he presents himself when in front of you. That's how some people are, even if they're hurting inside, they don't want you to see them as they really are. They have their reasons, they might think they'd be a burden to you, that you'd think differently of them in a negative way, or maybe they're just trying to fool themselves.

Merlin looks at Riku and Aqua, the both of them clearly in a worse mood then only moments ago.

Merlin: But I digress, Riku. To answer your question, Link will tell you when he's ready, but make no mistake, that kid has been through a lot, more than most of us here at his age. Let this child be a lesson to you masters: don't assume that you can face all your problems alone. Don't think that tirelessly helping others will somehow help yourself, or otherwise nullify your own issues. Keeping your mouth shut is not a sign of strength, nor will you be a burden to your friends if you open up to them. No one can take on the ordeal of Life by themselves, no one, no matter how strong they think they are. Whether this boy will realize it soon or not is up to him, but you don't have to follow down his path.

Processing what the wizard said, Riku and Aqua look back at Terra and Link, both of which are panting heavily, and appear to have finished their session for the day. They're both smiling and laughing, with Terra and the other students praising the boy for his performance, and Link modestly accepting it. They then walk back towards the three other masters, trying to hide their solemn faces.

Terra: Sorry Riku, I think I took up all our time today. This kid here is really something, and with some training, he could turn into a truly amazing master.

Terra pats Link on the head, and Link looks up to him and smiles, still panting from the training. Aqua then kneels down again to look at Link, getting his attention, and caresses his cheek.

Aqua: Yes, you have a new family with us now, and just know that we'll always be here for each other, no one will ever feel alone or unwanted here, no one needs to face anything alone here.

As she spoke, Link's breathing slowed and calmed, and he looked into her eyes. He looked a little confused, not understanding what brought this on, but he caught on a little, and he looked at Merlin, who looked back at him with a cold expression. Link then looked back at Aqua, and gently took her hand in his own, lowered it, and gently patted it. Aqua shows slight shock at this, but Link held her gaze, and gave a cold expression of his own, not one that lacked gratitude, but one that suggested the futility of her kindness, as if implying to not waste it on someone who's better off helping others that need it more. Link then backed up, gave a look at the other masters, and bowed respectfully, before proceeding to head back to his room.

Sensing the gloomy atmosphere he unintentionally created, Merlin called out to him.

Merlin: Oh Link, wait a sec! I was originally gonna ask your help with something before these guys here picked a fight with you.

Terra and Riku faced Merlin with scowls.

Terra: I wouldn't say that.

Riku: And what exactly do you need his help with right now?

Merlin: And speaking of "Sora", Riku, now would be the perfect time to go visit your friends down by the islands. If you're thinking of bringing them into the fight, they recently have reason to not turn you down.

Riku: Why? What happened?

Merlin: Well, let's just say they met an envoy of some type, and while they didn't exactly "shoot the messenger", they-

Riku: Merlin, I swear to God, just be straight with me-

Merlin: They're fine, but they've now become aware of the situation. As for Link, I've been reading up on Yen Sid's notes, and it seems the old man may have been onto something about the Keyblade War, and was maybe even aware of the curse that compels others to look away. Well, his notes seem rather cryptic, but from what I can gather, he may have found a way to determine the truth about the Keyblade War, which in turn could help us with our current situation.

Riku: You really think so?

Merlin: Yen Sid's death after our last meeting before that battle was quite suspicious, that much goes without saying. But after going over his reports, I'm confident he was onto something. An extra set of eyes would help, and since Link's my student, his free time is up to _my_ discretion.

Merlin said so with a grin, though Link looked less than enthused.

Merlin: Oh come now, if you're not gonna talk, you can at least read.

Aqua: Merlin!

Merlin: And while I'd certainly appreciate your help in this too, masters Aqua and Terra, I understand if you guys have something better to do, like, I don't know, coming up with a curriculum and a syllabus or something? Might as well start making this place feel like a school! We're already getting paid about as much as normal teachers, which is nothing, we might as well act like it too!

With that, Riku set off for Destiny Islands, while Aqua and Terra headed off somewhere else, and Merlin and Link went to the library with all of Yen Sid's imported books.

Ω

Aqua was in her quarters by the window, staring down where Eraqus' Keyblade stood. Terra walking up behind her, having followed her in here. She looked lost, uncertain, and waited as if Eraqus would appear.

Aqua: While I'm honored that you all nominated me as the Grandmaster, I must admit I feel like I'm not doing a very good job at it. Merlin is the one involved with research, you and Riku are out there travelling or training with the students. What have I done lately?

Terra approached her until he stood right behind her, and placed his hand on her shoulder. She grabbed it and gently squeezed it, then Terra turned her around while she held his hand, and the two faced each other from an intimate distance.

Terra: Leaders aren't people who are good at everything, Aqua. They're people who rally others together, people of various skillsets who'd otherwise never work with each other if left alone. Basically, leaders bring us all together and ensure we do our jobs, and are the ones to call us out when we're not doing so. Merlin is too mischievous and free-spirited to take on such responsibility, Riku prefers taking missions over administration, and I…

Terra then takes Aqua's other hand and holds them both up close to their chests.

Terra: I'm not as wise, selfless, or caring as you. Your judgement of right and wrong has never been misplaced, while sometimes I still find myself willing to do _whatever_ it takes, however reckless, if it meant I could save you and… well, but you, you keep us all in check, and so there really was no one better than you to lead us and a new generation of Keyblade Wielders.

Terra then let go of her and caressed her cheek, and Aqua couldn't help but lean into is hand. She then placed her hands on his face, leaned up and kissed him. Terra responded with a kiss of his own, and the two embraced each other, their kisses becoming more passionate. Aqua then motioned her hand, closing the door to her room, and locked it.

Ω

In the library, Merlin, Link, and a Chirithy sit on a desk, reading over piles of books. Chirithy pats Merlin on the shoulder, diverting his attention over to Link, who is hunched over on his chair and appears mostly uninterested as he's just flipping through pages, making the wizard smile.

Merlin: You know, what Aqua said was right.

Link stops and glances over at him.

Merlin: I won't tell them what you told me, nor will I force you to open up to them, but you're among friends here. Soon, they'll practically be your family, so whatever reason you've convinced yourself that you have to take all your troubles on your own, you'll see how much better it is, and easier, to rely on others you can trust.

Link straightens up in his chair, and places his hands on his knees, facing away from Merlin.

Merlin: Do you miss your home?

Link quickly turns and faces him, and after a moment, nods.

Merlin: Come here.

Link pushes his chair until he has room to hop off, and walks around the table to Merlin, who turns his upper body to face the boy. He then pats Link on the head.

Merlin: Do you feel guilt for leaving your home? For coming with me instead of staying?

Link doesn't answer, neither nodding his head nor shaking it, but again doesn't look Merlin in the eye.

Merlin: You did what you could, and you saved more lives than you realize. But I promise, under our tutelage, you will become strong enough to save your world once and for all. You're strong, but you will return even stronger, _and_ you won't be alone next time.

Link faces up to Merlin, who smiles down at the boy, and Link reaches in and hugs him, burying his face in the wizard's cloak. Merlin wraps his hand around the boy, embracing him in return.

When Link instinctively turned his head to face the desk, while still in Merlin's arms, he saw something in one of the books after a moment, something that roused his spirits. He nearly burst out of Merlin's arms, startling him, and pointed to a spot on a certain page. It mentioned an intricate model that Yen Sid made as part of a personal project. The paragraph would describe how this model would work as a place for "forgotten things", and mention things like empty promises and unfulfilled dreams.

Merlin: That's interesting, Link, but what makes you think this model is related to Yen Sid's investigation with the Keyblade War? It's an interesting hobby, but-

Link then ran back to where his book was, and turned back a couple of pages, then flipped the book around and gave it to Merlin. Link then stood on his chair so he could reach the book and pointed to a section on the page for Merlin to read,

"A long time ago on a very peculiar day, my mirror lured someone out of his bed and opened a doorway to my workshop. I do not know if the mirror was being mischievous or malicious. Perhaps it knew that the curious intruder had a role to play in my project.

I was putting the finishing touches on my latest creation, a world for things that have been forgotten. This intricate world would also serve as my vault for my most imperative enquiries, a world with secrets that only I would know."

Merlin finished that part of the passage, and looked at Link with pride.

Merlin: Nice catch! If Yen Sid also used this miniature world to contain other important works of his, it's possible he hid something related to his investigations in there. Now to just find out where and how to access this mini-world.

Chirithy: Oh, hold on a minute, boys, don't celebrate just yet.

The two kept on reading at the dreameater's caution.

"Satisfied with my progress, I put the magic brush down, and retired to my chambers. Had I known what events would follow, I would've locked away everything; paint, brush, and thinner. I heard noises and rushed to see what had happened, but I was too late. The world I had created was ravaged, a wasteland…

The mysterious intruder was gone, I did not learn his identity. Well, not for a very long time…."

This latest revelation did not exactly excite Merlin or Link, as it meant their only lead could've been sabotaged.

Merlin: Well… shit…

Chirithy: I still say we give the model a try, just be careful now that it might be even more dangerous than it already was.

Merlin: Maybe, but even then, how do we get into the workshop? We brought Merlin's mirror with us, but it could take forever for me to figure out how to get it to take us to the workshop.

Chirithy: Why not ask someone who worked with Yen Sid? Someone who might know about this workshop and maybe how to get to it?

Merlin: Well… definitely not Sora or Riku, and I doubt Donald and Goofy would know anything. But… Mickey might know. He was Yen Sid's student long before the old man took on the boys, so he _may_ know something if we go and ask him.

Chirithy: It's our only shot right now, what have we got to lose?

Ω

Morning came to the Destiny Islands, but it was not as pleasant is it usually was. This time, morning only served to brighten up all the destruction that was left in the wake of last night's battle.

While this wasn't the first disaster that the peaceful islanders had endured, it was the first with purposeful and malicious intent. Sora stood in the plaza where he first encountered Vergil, and now saw without a doubt how easily he cut down the surrounding houses like they were butter, and without ever even landing a physical attack on them. His powers were unusual, not unlike that of the Organization. Whereas Maleficent and her group, whose powers were predictable based on their nature, Vergil and that of the Organization had esoteric abilities that went beyond whatever mere weapon they chose to fight with, and that alone makes them that much more dangerous (with the possible exceptions of Lexaeus and Axel).

Kairi was in the hospital, helping the staff in healing the wounded. While she was not yet in med school, she was at least able to heal superficial wounds, and would then leave any more complex problems to trained professionals. She did well in fending off Vergil until Sora was able to rejoin the battle, but her inability to lead him away from the mainland showed in how much destruction he managed to leave. Houses can be rebuilt, but people…

Still, he hated that his home was now a casualty in this part of his life, the life of a Keyblade Wielder. He always saw his home as untouchable, its very nature unappealing to the villains at large, and that's what kept it under the radar of anyone that posed a threat to him or his friends. Now, his peaceful home had the same battle scars as that of the Radiant Gardens, but would the town be able to heal from them the same way as those of a world more accustomed to battle? TIdus, Selphie, and Wakka were tougher than the average citizen, but even they were nothing like Sora, Riku, or Kairi. This incident could potentially traumatize everyone for life…

Finally, Kairi was able to join Sora in the plaza, and she saw a look in his eyes, a look of helplessness and frustration, a look that suggested that they no longer had a home to return to, like their sanctuary was violated beyond repair.

Kairi caressed Sora's face, trying to sooth her lover's anxiety.

Kairi: We can fend them off for as long as we can, but, if worse comes to worse, your people can always come live in my original home, the Radiant Gardens. You took me in without a second thought, it's only fair that I return the favor.

Sora smiled at her, overwhelmed by her thoughtfulness and beauty.

Sora: But… isn't that "meddling" or something?

Kairi: As a Keyblade Wielder, and a Princess of heart, I think that entitles me to bend the rules a little, don't you?

They leaned in and kissed, then Sora kissed her forehead as he embraced her.

Sora: You really are the best, you know that? But I failed in defending my home once, I don't want that to happen again. I won't let those invaders take my home from me like the Heartless did.

Kairi: And we won't. Just like how you took back the Radiant Gardens, we'll take back Destiny Islands too, but when we do, we'll be prepared. As we are now, we're not ready to take on an armada, and this place isn't stockpiled with what we need to outlast them.

Sora didn't want to admit it, but she was right. Even if Riku was still here, the three of them wouldn't be able to fend off the oncoming armada without significant casualties, nor is this place structured in such a way to give them any kind of home-field advantage.

Then they heard what sounded like a sonic boom in the sky, drawing their attention as well as some of the civilians. They then saw an object descending at a fast pace, though it didn't take long for Sora and Kairi to recognize it as a Gummi Ship. This one was more advanced and sleek than the basic ship Sora flew. This one was dark-blue/black in color, and resembled a cross between a Stealth Bomber and a Blackbird, and they had a pretty good idea who was piloting it: Riku.

The ship landed out by the dock, showing its ability to float in the water. Once Riku was satisfied with how he parked it, he jumped out and landed on the pier. Sora and Kairi rushed toward him.

Kairi: So much for not being a stranger!

Sora: I think his master status got to his head.

Riku smirked as he embraced the two of them, savoring their reunion after nearly two years. As he held them, Riku looked beyond them at the damage caused by the envoy Merlin mentioned.

Riku: Who did this?

Sora and Kairi loosen their embrace, and saw the ferociousness in Riku's face.

Sora: Some guy who called himself "Vergil", said he was part demon, and that he worked under someone else called Doom. Riku, this guy was tough, and held out pretty well even after Kairi and I transformed. I don't even want to imagine how powerful his boss is.

Riku: Hmph, you guys just got complacent is all, I remember you in particular, Sora, being able to take on tough opponents without relying on your forms. Hell, you beat me and Xehanort before you even learned how to do that, don't you remember?

Sora: Heh, well, I hope you're right.

Kairi: I know he is, besides, if Vergil hadn't taken advantage of how vulnerable we were here, I've no doubt your or I could've given him a much harder time.

Sora: That said… it all likelihood, he might come back, and I don't think he's gonna forgive and forget. Kairi and I were talking about potentially evacuating the people, and taking them elsewhere.

Riku looked at the two of them, not entirely surprised, but still somewhat dismayed that it had come to this for his home world.

Riku: Where to?

Sora: Well, unless we can rely on Traverse Town again-

Kairi: I was thinking bringing them to the Radiant Gardens, my home world, as a display of gratitude for you taking me in when my own world was lost.

Riku: Hmm, well, while I'm not against that idea, and I'm definitely grateful for you offering your world to us, we still need to discuss that with the other masters at the Order of Light, as well as Ansem and Leon should the other masters be ok with it.

Sora groaned at Riku's statement. He was right, the risk of meddling and letting others know of other worlds could create conflict, as well as the risk one world affecting another's natural development for the worse.

Sora: Well, one thing's for sure, we can't stay here, and unless you guys grew an army over there, you can't exactly send much help here, can you?

Riku: No, we can't. But this can't be ignored, so I suggest we take it up to them. I don't want to rush them into anything, but time isn't exactly on our side. If that Vergil guy paid a visit to you, we can't assume the armada is far behind. I'm sure they'll accommodate us, after all we've done.

Sora and Kairi looked at each other, then back at the island. What other choice did they have?

Sora: Alright, after you.

The three entered the Gummi Ship, and as it slowly gained altitude, its engines blowing on the water beneath, the site was one to behold for the other islanders. And with that, the ship took off.


	4. Chapter 4

The sun has nearly set on the Land of Departure, as dim rays shine into Aqua's bedroom window. The ultramarine beauty is sitting on the edge of the bed, staring out into the land beyond her room, with her close companion Master Terra laying behind her, brushing his hand up and down her exposed silk-smooth back. The sensation is beyond intoxicating to Aqua, though she regrets to admit that it's probably about time the two made it back downstairs with the rest, to see if Master Merlin and Link made any progress in their research, as well as to greet Master Riku when he returns with his friends Sora and Kairi, both of whom contributed significantly in the battle against Xehanort. Archer was expected to return too, hopefully with more helpful details.

She turns around and holds Terra's hand in her own, and kisses it, complemented with a longing gaze which was all Terra needed to understand how grateful she is to him, for how supportive he's been for her ever since she took on the mantle of Grandmaster. She then stood up, giving Terra another full view of her amazing body, honed over time from training and fighting. She was slim and athletic; her complexion was perfect; her curves neither too voluptuous nor lacking, as expected of someone with her fighting style, she had the build of a swimmer or gymnast.

Terra resented that it was time for her (and him too) to dress back up, but he takes comfort in knowing that no one else will have her, that she is his, and his alone. She had just put her bra and tanga back on when they heard a noise outside, like the sound of an aircraft. Still barely covered, Aqua rushed to the window, jiggling and all, and saw a ship in the distance, a gummi ship.

Aqua: They're here!

Ω

Merlin, Link, and Chirithy heard the noise too.

Merlin: Oh, sounds like they're back. Well kid, ready to meet some more of your precursors?

Link nodded gleefully, and ran on ahead of the wizard, who bookmarked the pages before closing the books, then slowly followed the giddy forest boy with the Chirithy by his side.

When Link reached the underground landing station, he saw the flying machine as it slowed down in its approach until it hovered just above its landing platform. The boy was amazed at the advanced machinery, he had never seen such technology before, only briefly heard of them from Merlin. A ship that flies in space! Kind of like a…. SPACE-SHIP!

The Gummi Ship landed, and the trio walked out. They were greeted by Link, who gazed at them with puppy-dog eyes in awe.

Sora: Uhh… who's the kid?

Riku: Oh, right, I forgot to mention…

From beyond them, coming down the stairs, was Merlin.

Merlin: One of our newest and brightest, his name is Link.

Kairi: OH MY GOD, he's adorable!

She ran past Sora, knelt down and embraced Link, who couldn't help but blush at her affectionate greeting.

Behind Merlin was Terra and Aqua, the latter of whom heard Kairi and ended up responding.

Aqua: I know, right?! Isn't he just SO CUTE?

The poor boy's face was comically red now. He never quite got used to this sort of popularity even in his home world, at least there most of the adoring girls were closer to his own age, but even then, he at least got to know them by doing favors and quests for them, and he still couldn't understand their infatuation with him. He's just your average heroic adventurer boy who's obedient, has a heart of gold, and is the silent mysterious type, oh and he MAY have good looks for someone his age, but so what? He's just doing what he was taught, and what he thought was right, but he never trained on how to deal with such appreciation after he was done with his tasks, and now these strange but kinda cute women were all over him… WHY?!

Sora: Easy there, Kairi, or you'll pop his head off…

Kairi: Oh! Sorry sweetie!

Kairi let go of Link, whose face finally started to return to its normal shade, but couldn't look Kairi in the eyes, staring downwards in bashfulness.

Terra: It's nice to see you guys again.

Aqua and Kairi hugged, while Terra and Sora shook hands.

Sora: Riku said you're a master now, congrats!

Terra: Yeah, I'm 10 years too late, but I'm finally one now.

Sora: Man, and I thought I had it rough fighting Xehanort's heartless, his nobody, his younger self, AND his old self, not to mention his 13 other selves, but you had to deal with the worst one of them all…. YELLOW ORBS!

Terra's face mildly contorted in frustration as Sora displayed a troll-like grin.

Terra: Well at least I wasn't an accident, **and** I stuck around, and in case you forgot, you even struggled fighting against my armor.

Aqua then cut in front of the two, trying to ease the tension.

Aqua: Besides, while no one is doubting your amazing combat prowess, Sora, it takes more than that to become a master. It also takes a certain… _mental fortitude_ to be recognized as a higher status of Keyblade Wielder, someone who can be trusted and entitled to certain knowledge that nobody else has access to, knowledge that is just as powerful as the strongest spells and abilities, if not more so.

Sora: Sooo….. what are you saying?

Archer: I think she's saying that you're still too much of a dumb-ass to become a master.

Behind them, the Archer servant emerged from the background. He articulated his cynical remark with a smirk, which caused Sora to protest, and Terra to laugh mockfully

Merlin: Ah, you're back already?

Archer tossed the portal device over to the wizard.

Archer: I got here not long before they did, out of habit I thought I'd scout the area first.

Merlin: And for what it's worth, Sora, Roxas never became a master either, so at least you're not alone!

The moment was cut short when Archer cut to the point.

Archer: In all seriousness, though, you didn't come here just for the reunion, did you? We're aware of your recent "exchange" on your island, and I believe we have much to discuss.

Sora faced the Counter Guardian, and his face turned serious.

Sora: Yes, we do.

Merlin: Let's meet upstairs. Link, I'm gonna have to ask you to hang back in your room for a while, ok? The grown-ups and Sora need to have a talk for a little while.

Merlin's comment triggered Sora, causing Terra to chuckle again while Kairi tried to calm him down. The wizard patted his young apprentice on the head, who seemed somewhat disappointed that he couldn't spend more time with the new strangers.

Ω

It was night time, and Link was lying on his bed in his new quarters, which appeared to accommodate for at least two people. The room itself was a modest size, 10 x 15 ft, the window on the far end opposite the bedroom door, with two bunk-beds on either side of the window, and two dressers and wardrobes on either side of the door. The bathrooms were out in the halls, but for now that wasn't a problem for the boy, since there wasn't that many students in this new Order of Light, which was the modern attempt at an association of Keyblade Wielders aimed at protecting the various worlds from darkness. Link was also the only one occupying this particular room at the moment.

But it was because of this that Link couldn't help but feel… lonely. He missed his friends back home, particularly one person… No, Link didn't want to think about that now, he shook his head to disperse his thoughts, as they'd only make his solitude more unbearable. He didn't worry about making new friends here, and it was just a matter of time before even more people finally started joining up, a matter of time…

Well, it least he wasn't entirely alone, the Chirithy creature that Merlin summoned was keeping him company.

Chirithy: Cheer up, kid, they're likely talking about boring stuff now anyway, nothing you'd be missing a night's sleep over. You'd only regret it if you decided to attend it, trust me.

The dreameater's attempts at cheering the boy up somewhat succeeded, bringing about a smile out of him that made him appear to glow in the dimly-lit room.

Chirithy: Did Merlin tell you why he summoned me in the first place?

Link shook his head.

Chirithy: I myself don't quite understand my nature, but Merlin said he read various reports that seemed to suggest that my species was created to aid the Keyblade Wielders of old. Due to the emotional nature of the Keyblades, we were partnered up with individual wielders in order to keep their emotions in check. We were especially efficient on this task when the wielders slept, by eating any bad dreams that might come up. Since dreams are the successions of ideas, images, emotions, and sensations, all of which are greatly amplified by a keyblade, it was our job to make sure our wielders remained mentally stable, as Keyblades were reported to be quite volatile in the early days.  
Merlin believes that's how we got our designated names, "Dreameaters", though apparently we were in another class of our own than the ones Sora and Riku encountered during their Mark of Mastery exam. However, we became obsolete over the years, as less students meant more manageable student-teacher ratios, which meant the teachers could provide more direct instruction to their apprentices without our help, or so they thought anyway. But since Aqua is trying to rejuvenate the Keyblade Wielders, Merlin felt it was prudent to bring back my species too, at least until they get enough masters on staff, and even then, Merlin was gracious enough to suggest that we continue to stick close, since you never know when stress will hit you hard, no matter how good you think you are, or how much staff you have on hand.

Link enjoyed listening to the stuffed doll-like creature talk, it brought up more memories of his past, memories of a certain companion who travelled with him, giving him advice and direction. But the boy didn't mind letting these memories surface, as the Chirithy was a satisfying substitute for the navigating pixie he once knew, and far more tolerable and cooperative than the one he met in an alternate world-NO!

Link did not want **those** memories, of all things, to surface, not now. They were perhaps his most painful, the most intense, and the ones he resented the most. The Chirithy sensed this and attempted to calm the boy, who appeared to be on the verge of a panic attack.

Chirithy: Whoa, easy now! Easy, there there…. Ah, better now?

The boy nodded, though not entirely convincingly.

Chirithy: Ah-ha… it seems those pesky Keyblades still have that issue of amplifying your emotions. Sora and Riku didn't have to deal with it quite as much, in the sense that they at least had goals in mind that helped them aim their sensations. Terra and Ventus, from what I've heard, **did** have that problem. Terra was easily manipulated by darkness, while Ventus was so unstable that it enabled Xehanort to split him into two distinct beings. Aqua's will was strong enough to overcome it, though, hence why she was promoted to master at an early age, while Kairi is a princess of heart, so by nature she's _pure_ of heart and stuff. You might be the hero of your world, blessed with unyielding courage, but it seems you're still prone to the adverse effects of the keyblade, something all students will have to overcome if they're gonna fight the good fight, let alone become masters.

Link looked at his left hand, and saw the glowing triangle that symbolized his mark of courage. As someone who refused to back down from a fight, someone who swore to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and to fight back the darkness when it invaded the realm of light, Link best personified the attributes of bravery. The boy used this as a reminder of his conviction to get stronger, to earn the right to wield the Keyblade, so that he can return to his homeland and reclaim it from the invading monstrous forces from the desert. He hated that he had to leave _her_ there to fend them off, but he was assured that she would be safe, and would understand his leave of absence, so that when he returned, they could fight side by side and take back Hyrule together…

How did everything go so wrong? So fast? Victory seemed assured, but it wasn't over, it's never over… Link didn't realize that he had zoned out, and barely heard someone call out his name…

Chirithy:….ey…ink! Hey, Link, you in there?!

The dreameater decided to take drastic measure, bonking the kid on the head until he responded, and unsurprisingly, it worked after the first 2 tries. Link shook his head and rubbed his eyes, then saw the Chirithy in front of him act relieved, if not slightly aggravated.

Chirithy: Good grief, this isn't gonna become a regular thing with you, is it?

Link let out a nervous chuckle.

Chirithy: Well, whatever's troubling you up there, just know that it doesn't have to for much longer. I'll make sure you sleep soundly, and if there's anything you need help with, we're all here to lend a hand, ok?

The creature extended its limb, and Link reached out to grab it. Chirithy then shook his hand, to the boy's appreciation.

Chirithy: And like I said, I'm sure those other guys upstairs are talking about boring stuff, NOTHING you'd be interested in…

Ω

In the council room, Aqua, Terra, Merlin, Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Archer sat on the round table. Also present was a holographic projection of Ansem and Ienzo.

Sora and Kairi had finished briefing the others on Vergil and the impending invasion.

Aqua: I see… I'm glad you two were able to fend him off, and keep damage to your island at a minimum. This "Doom" person that Vergil spoke of-

Archer: Yes, the armada's Commander-in-Chief and Emperor. He specifically goes by the name of "Doctor Doom".

Riku: "Doctor"? Well, at least we know he's certified.

Sora: And "Doom" is really his name? You mean Vergil wasn't acting all cliché with his super-villain threat?

Archer: Cliché or not, this guy is the real deal. I still haven't been able to pin-point his home-world, which I suspect serves as a major development site for much of his forces, but from what I've pieced together, he's a polymathic genius in multiple scientific disciplines, with technology far surpassing anything I've seen. He's also a high-tier mage, enough to probably give Merlin here a run for his money.

Merlin: Well that's…. an unpleasant combination…

Ansem: I can vouch for Archer's assessment. I have met this Doctor Doom before, a long time ago. I primarily knew him by the name Victor, his genius and wisdom are **not** to be underestimated. I must admit that I often felt like a mere child in the presence of his insight, his seemingly bottomless repertoire of historical knowledge. I could not help but feel unworthy of the title of "Ansem the Wise".

Archer: And you just pissed off his mailman, so he'll probably sent a few thousand soldiers to your home island.

Aqua: If we had more numbers, we'd send aid there immediately-

Sora: Which is why we were thinking that you let us evacuate them to another world for now.

Kairi: Preferably the Radiant Gardens. We realize this would be a breach in protocol-

Merlin: Hmph, that's putting it lightly.

Kairi: But this is an extreme situation, and it would only be temporary. Once we take back the Destiny islands-

Terra: And how long would that take, exactly?

Kairi: We can't know that.

Sora: But it won't take long, that I promise. I already lost my home once, and I'm not about to lose it again for long in the hands of some tyrant.

Terra: But this isn't gonna be the same as before, Sora.

Merlin: Exactly, we're not fighting some intergalactic terrorist group that loosely commands an army of mindless magical beasts. We're fighting an organized army, far larger and with far more resources than the Organization ever had. And it won't be like cutting off the head of the snake will immediately solve all our problems. At best, you could hope for a brief power vacuum, but the vacancy would be quickly filled, and we could end up with someone even worse. The only other thing you could expect is someone elected to take over for Doom as the commander, likely his second-in-command, and we'd have barely slow them down.

Sora: Fine, then we take everyone else out first, and save Doom for last!

Terra: Do you know how many higher-ups there are? _Where_ they are? What they're capable of?

Archer: I've determined at least 7 so far, though there seems to be **a lot** more.

Sora: I don't see how any of that is relevant! We've had little to go on before, and we pulled through, didn't we?

Merlin: Again, we had less enemies to worry about, and in many cases we could rely on some of the worlds' locals to help us out. We don't have that luxury now, not yet anyway.

Terra: Exactly, many worlds, the Radiant Gardens included, are still recovering. They don't have enough resources to take care of themselves **and** those from other worlds.

Ansem: Normally I wouldn't be against giving aid or taking in refugees, but we would be hard-pressed in determining living quarters for them while repairing the damage we have accrued from Maleficent's invasion. I am sorry, but many of my own people remain homeless, and so I must look to them before anyone else.

Riku: Radiant Gardens or not, it's not like our people would be free-loading. They're hard workers and honest people, I'm sure they'd be more than willing to contribute-

Merlin: Do you really think so? How quickly do you think islanders will adapt to a heavily industrial world like the Radiant Gardens? Despite its pleasant name, the way it's structured is far different from anything your people are used to, even your world's most industrial islands are still vastly technologically inferior to what they'll have to learn in the Radiant Gardens, which will take many years, if not several generations before they've successfully integrated.

Terra: And if that happens, would you want to thrust them back into their old life, a life they've possibly forgotten after they've finally embraced a new one?

Sora: So you're saying we just abandon them?! Just let them get taken over while we turn tail and run to safety?!

Terra: That's not what I said at all.

Sora: And how do you know they can't adapt? That they can't assimilate into a temporary new home?

Merlin: Well, for one, I'm clairvoyant, and two, I'm old enough to have directly observed plenty of societies to see what happens when these kinds of things aren't handled correctly.

Kairi: Don't I get a say in this? As a Keyblade Wielder, a Princess of heart, and a former citizen of the Radiant Gardens?

Merlin: Well, your "princess of heart" title is more of a formality, you're not actually royalty, nor were you royalty in your home world. Besides, not all the princesses of heart were actual princesses either, as was the case with Alice. Belle and Cinderella weren't born princesses, but rather acquired royalty status only after they were betrothed to princes. As for your Keyblade status, while worth noting, it's out-ranked by masters and grandmasters.

Kairi glared at Merlin with a scowl, but the wizard merely responded with a witty shrug.

Merlin: IF we were to allow your people to go through with your exodus, it'd be more prudent to send them to a world that's more compatible with them, which off the top of my head is Twilight Town. BUT, that world currently isn't fit to accept a massive influx of outsiders, and it would take more time than we have to make them prepare for such an event. Even if the islanders were put in camps outside the town, packed with their own meals, they'd run out of food and water soon, forcing the locals to sacrifice their own resources to maintain the islanders indefinitely. Despite our authority as Keyblade Wielders, we cannot force another world to accommodate in such a way, especially on such short notice…

The group continued to argue until Aqua finally broke the silence.

Aqua: ENOUGH! Sora, Kairi, Riku… we have not forgotten everything you've done for us. If it wasn't for you three, I wouldn't have returned, Terra wouldn't have been revived to his former self, and Ventus would still be comatose. That said, we cannot start breaking protocol and risk meddling, even in times like this. In fact, it's because we're still so under-manned, and that any worlds even capable of taking in refugees are quite frankly not in the shape of doing so at this time, that we cannot risk overloading any of them to take on more than they can handle.

Sora: But-

Aqua: I know what it sounds like, what it looks like. But fighting another day does not mean we're abandoning them. That would imply that we'd be sacrificing them without ever intending to liberate them. We need to get stronger and build our numbers. We need to recruit more people to our cause, instead of reacting hysterically along with charging at an enemy we know nothing about. Only then can we think about sending aid to worlds that were taken over by Doom, or under threat of him.

Archer: And besides, your world in the grand scheme of things is rather low in priority. There are other worlds in this sector that you guys haven't explored yet, worlds populated with powerful people, many of which can benefit from our knowledge, and who we could benefit by them joining our cause. It's THOSE worlds we need to prioritize, we need to visit them, inform them of the situation, and recruit able-bodied people into our ranks, at the very least so that we can secure a defensive perimeter for our system. Realistically speaking, it's safer to send aid to others rather than bunch everyone up into one place, it's more prudent to reach out to others and teach them how to defend themselves.

Aqua: And in order to do that, we need to stockpile on whatever and whoever we can get, otherwise we'll just collapse from the inside long before our enemies even reach us.

With a degree of resentment, Kairi and Riku understood what Aqua and the others were saying, and they couldn't help but agree. Sora was slower on accepting it, still expressing frustration, but Kairi placed her hand on his, and in taking a moment out of his rage, he looked at her. Her face showed one of sorrow and sympathy, but also one that pleaded Sora to see reason and logic. Sora couldn't find it in himself to argue with her. If anyone understood how Sora and Riku felt, it was Kairi. She lost her world too, and it was years before it was reclaimed, and even then, she stayed in the Destiny Islands to fight.

Sora absorbed and processed all of this, and slowly released the tension from his body, before gently squeezing Kairi's hand in agreement. He then turned to face Aqua, Terra, and Merlin, and begrudgingly nodded. Seeing him at ease relieved the three masters.

Aqua: Alright, thank you for understanding. For what it's worth, we're not going to overlook your home, we're merely building a defense that may help us withstand Doom's armada, and if it works, your world will be safe.

Sora gave a slight bow, but still expressed a hint of resentment.

Merlin: And now to move on to other important topics. My apprentice Link and I have been doing extensive research into Yen Sid's notes, and it seems he may have been onto something about the ancient Keyblade War, _and_ that he may have hidden his findings somewhere in one of his magic contraptions, possibly when he realized he was overtaken by a curse that forced him to ignore looking into it.

Sora: Um, kk? How does that help us **now**, though?

Merlin: Well, for now it appears that Yen Sid's findings and this Doctor Doom may or may not be connected, and yet I just cannot escape this feeling that… maybe they are. You're aware that all worlds supposedly used to be one gargantuan world, right?

The others sitting at the table nodded.

Merlin: Whatever caused the First World to split up must have occurred during the Keyblade War. This is all conjecture right now, but clearly someone didn't want anyone else to find out what this destructive power was, and went to great lengths to ensure that nobody else for thousands of generations could find out the truth. Now, after Xehanort and Yen Sid's deaths, we've learned that Doom has been conquering worlds while we were busy with our own problems, evidently taking advantage that the Lanes are still open, and against our efforts to close them too.  
If Doom's methods are the same as, or at least similar to, the methods of one of the parties that provoked the ancient Keyblade War, then uncovering the truth of that event may help us deal with our current threat. And if it turns out that Doom is completely unrelated to the Keyblade War, then at the very least we might have a weapon of some kind that can give us an edge, despite our inferior numbers.

Riku: Are you sure you want us to uncover such a weapon? Even if we're the ones in possession of it?

Merlin: What other choice do we have? We don't know how long it'll take for us to become a substantial military force of our own, and with the pace that our new enemy is approaching us, I doubt we'll have time even if we rush and recruit the top 100 strongest men and women from every single world in our sector. We don't necessarily have to spam the weapon-

Aqua: Just use it as a bluff to hold Doom back, and hopefully give ourselves enough time to gather troops.

Merlin: Exactly.

Sora and Kairi look at each other in doubt, then they faced Riku, and found it difficult to read his neutral expression. He looked like he could go either way with this plan, which was either to find this supposed weapon, or don't risk it and try other means.

Sora: What if this weapon was Kingdom Hearts itself? That's what supposedly provoked the war according to Xehanort, with people going mad over power. Maybe their attempts to abuse it caused the First World to split into many…

Merlin: That crossed my mind, except Kingdom Hearts is easily accessible knowledge to anyone who wields a Keyblade. While it's possible that there could be more to Kingdom Hearts than we currently know, the way this "curse" seems to work, it doesn't prevent anyone from looking into Kingdom Hearts itself, but the specifics of the **war** that was fought because of it.

Archer: In that case, why not just use this Kingdom Hearts instead of some weapon that might not even exist? We have information on how to summon it, whereas whatever information we have on this hypothetical weapon is rather flimsy, honestly.

Aqua: It's not like we could access Kingdom Hearts even if we wanted to. The means to forcefully reveal it are all morally and ethically dangerous, as we've all seen by now. I have faith that it won't get to the point that we'll have to resort to Xehanort's measures, otherwise what was the point of defeating him in the first place? Whatever reasons he had to obtain it, he clearly lost his humanity along the way, and I won't allow anyone to repeat his mistakes, even if it might enable us to defeat Doom.

Sora: I agree.

Kairi: As do I.

Riku: Same.

Terra: Aye

Ansem: Hear, hear.

Archer: Hmph.

They all then look at Merlin, waiting for him to agree.

Merlin: Hey, I'm actually with Archer on this one. I'll admit that I might be stretching it with Yen Sid's notes, but I'm willing to play Devil's Advocate if it means we can win. That said… I will go along with the majority's decision.

Aqua: Fair enough. We need at least one person who's willing to consider the worst-case scenario, someone who will think of things none of us have the strength to admit. If there's one thing I learned from my teachings, the winning side that we've come to see as the "good guys" never really consisted of entirely "good" and "pure" people. There's always someone who needed to get his hands dirty for the greater good, and those people shouldn't be overlooked, let alone persecuted. Whatever morals we preach today may not be so in the future.

Merlin and Archer gratefully nodded at Aqua's remarks, and Aqua nodded in return. The others were already suspicious of Archer, but also of the wizard. While Archer's attitude has become expected, Merlin was a different story. It's true he had been helping them since the beginning, when Xehanort's heartless was running amok, and they have no real reason to doubt him. But something felt a little off about him now, ever since he took on this new form, Merlin has acted more… shady. He hasn't been as upfront as he used to be, but… well, he has yet to give reason that he'd actually betray them. If there's one consistent trait that Merlin has kept, it's that he always looks out for the underdogs, regardless of the consequences.

Merlin: Thank you very much, Grandmaster. Now, while we might have a lead into the past to help with the future, we still don't know _how_ to follow this lead. The first thing we need to do is visit King Mickey, as he's the only other known apprentice of Yen Sid, so he might know something about his methods, including if he had a place to hide his greatest secrets. Sora and Kairi will accompany me to Disney Castle. My apprentice will stay here with Terra and Aqua to continue his training until we return.

Kairi: What about Riku?

Merlin: He will make a trip one of the worlds closest to the sector taken over by Doom. As it currently remains a neutral world in the upcoming struggle, Riku will attempt to find suitable candidates to join our ranks. The older, wiser, and more skilled and powerful these candidates, the better, as they can ideally pick up on the Keyblade's magic faster than average. It's not an ideal way to boost our ranks and build the Order of Light, but unfortunately we're pressed for time.

Sora: What world is it?

Riku: It has a rather generic name, "Earth Land", but the country, or kingdom rather, that I'll be spending the most time in is called "Fiore", in the continent of Ishgar. Based on the briefings I received, it's among the most prominent kingdoms in that world; it's populated with mages, many of whom are part of a guild. The guilds are supervised by a government known as the "Magic Council", which in turn takes orders from a king, with his daughter, the princess, next in line to lead.

Archer: What especially caught our attention was that they appoint "Ten Wizard Saints", who are supposedly the 10 strongest and most skilled mages in that region. It's a great place to start looking for promising candidates.

Merlin: From there, Riku, and eventually you two as well, will be travelling to as many worlds as possible, finding suitable candidates and recruiting them.

Aqua: We've decided to allow you to initiate the Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony at your discretion, even non-masters such as you two. While you are to report your findings to us first via Gummi Phone, explaining your reasoning for why you chose that person, in the end we're willing to trust your judgement, so long as it's within reason. Otherwise we will forbid you to perform the ceremony if there's significant reason to doubt your choice. Understood?

The three islanders nodded.

Archer: What about Roxas? I get that we're giving him leave on account of his unique condition, but are we really going to-

Aqua: He's been through enough, I cannot force him to go through any more than he already has. I'm afraid the mental strain would just… break him.

Archer: I understand…

Aqua: Then our meeting is adjourned. I wish good luck onto you all, and may your heart be your guiding key.

And with that, the group stood and dispersed, while the holograms faded out.

Ω

Aqua, Terra, and Link stood at the top of the stairs leading down into the station holding the gummi ships. Merlin is saying good-bye to Link while Sora, Kairi, and Riku stand near the two ships and say their own farewells.

Merlin: Now, I want you to be a good boy while I'm gone, alright? Just because Terra is the substitute teacher, and principle Aqua seems to have a crush on you, that doesn't mean you get to take it easy on the homework, alright? Study, practice, and hone those skills.

The silent boy nodded, though he appeared displeased that he couldn't join his mentor on his quest, and looked down in protest.

Merlin: Hey…

The wizard raised Link's chin, slowly.

Merlin: That was a good catch on your part. I may have the ability of fore-sight, but your deductive skills, which have helped you solve puzzles and determine enemy weaknesses, that's what likely gave us a fighting chance. While I can't bring you with me right now, since there won't be much "training" going on, we'll definitely need you in the near future, when we have a better idea of what we're looking for. Can you wait just a little while?

Link's expression changed as Merlin spoke. He looked a little hopeful, but still doubtful, until Aqua draped her arm around his shoulder. He looked up and saw her smiling down reassuringly at him, and his face glowed with a smile of his own. He looked back at Merlin and nodded more optimistically.

Merlin: Attaboy!

Kairi had already hugged Riku before Sora engaged him in a bro-hug of his own.

Sora: Just be safe out there, ok?

Riku: Did you already forget who it was that saved you when we took our exam?

Sora: The same guy I ended up saving when he went to look for Aqua?

Riku: Touche.

The three islanders chuckled.

Riku: I just hope Mickey can help you find what you're looking for, something that we all might need to deal with this Doom guy. Archer's a prick, but he's right, it honestly sounds flimsy, but I guess beggars can't be choosers, and we're begging for a fighting chance right now.

Kairi: And we hope you're able to recruit trustworthy people into our ranks. I don't like that we be pretty much giving away the keyblade now, but that doesn't mean I don't believe there are good people out there who will be of great help to us. We've met many such people already.

Riku: Particularly those in the Radiant Gardens. We'll likely circle back to them later, once we've armed those who are under more imminent threat of Doom.

With that, Riku waved and entered his Gummi Ship. Merlin had reached Sora and Kairi.

Merlin: Ready fellas?

Sora: I guess so.

Sora and Kairi looked at each other, held hands, and followed the wizard into their own Gummi Ship, the same tried-and-true model Sora has flown many times before. Aqua, Terra, and Link watched as the ships began their take-off sequence, then the two ships accelerated out of the station, departed the world by piercing its atmosphere, and split off into two separate directions.


	5. Chapter 5

"What are you talking about?!"

"He has no control over the darkness in his heart"

"I am me! Nobody else!"

"I'm asking you, as a friend…"

"Who am I?"

"Just… put an end to me"

"What am I…. here for?"

"He is an abomination beyond hope of salvation!"

Roxas wakes with an intense gasp, barely catching his breath. He wipes the sweat from his forehead with his hand, and notices that he's drenched his bed sheets. It's been like this for almost a year now. The nightmares weren't this intense and frequent at first, but it wasn't long as they accumulated until it became unbearable. It didn't help that the space between worlds had become significantly larger, as if to accommodate the size of the worlds now that they manifested as actual planets. The longer treks in space were daunting tasks in themselves, which forced Roxas to make more breaks than he'd like.

He was hoping the farther away he got, the more the nightmares would cease. But so far, that didn't seem to be the case, yet he still felt it was best that he was far away from his friends, he had been in a volatile state that would only put them at risk. It was actually only fairly recently that the nightmares abated to more manageable intervals when he crash-landed in… where was he again? Oh right…

Roxas got up from his bed, wearing only briefs, since he felt suffocated if he wore too much when trying to sleep, and looked out the window, his retirement clearly not affecting his toned body. Outside he could see the stars, as beautiful as ever now that he could take the chance to enjoy them. He was grateful that he stumbled onto this place when he did, otherwise he likely would have died alone in the vastness of space, and no one would ever know. His caretakers were an unusual bunch, most of them anyway, though Roxas wasn't one to judge, since he's as unusual as it gets.

Whatever being he was when as a member of the Organization, he was an even stranger entity now, though he still chose to go by the name of "Roxas", he felt less shame with that name than "Ventus", "Vanitas", or… was there another name? Another person that he knew? That he _was_? Every time he felt like he was on the verge of remembering, it slipped away, and that always frustrated him. Well, he wasn't going to stay here and waste more time trying to remember, he wanted to get out of this room now that he was awake. He put on his shirt and pants, took off the sweaty sheets from his bed and threw them in the hamper, then departed from his quarters.

Roxas in fact had landed on what turned out to be the Comet Observatory, a marvelous space station that blissfully wandered through space, passing by various worlds, observing various spectacles that only the wide-open space can provide. The Observatory itself was a beautiful technological marvel, like something out of a fairy tale, and the visuals that surrounded it only added to the spectacle. It had its own atmosphere and gravity, allowing its occupants to breath and walk without worry of being sucked into the vacuum of space. As he walked along the station, the little creatures he had come to know after spending the last few weeks here, the Lumas, gathered around him gleefully.

The Lumas were ball-sized creatures in the shape of generic 5-point stars, and appeared to be the natives of the Space Between Worlds. Roxas realized that he had never been able to notice them before, possibly due to the overwhelming presence of the Heartless and Nobodies at the time. These painfully adorable little critters must have been scared into hiding until the threats were dealt with.

In a way, the Lumas kinda reminded him of the Moogles due to the way they behaved and talked in that high-pitched tone, not exactly forming words yet still strangely understandable humans. He had made it to the Terrace when he finally bumped into the one who ran this Comet Observatory, the one who had taken him in and helped heal him after the Lumas found him. Roxas almost thought she was a Princess of Heart, due to her great mystical powers as a sorceress. Her name was Rosalina.

Rosalina: Glad to see you up and early on your own accord today.

Roxas: Trust me, I didn't feel so glad when I woke up this morning.

Rosalina: The nightmares again?

Roxas: Yeah…

Rosalina: *sighs* Come here

Roxas: I thought you said-

Rosalina: I know what I said, come here.

Roxas decided to obey the space-witch rather than argue with her further, though it's not like he wanted to turn down her help. Among her many powers, her psychic abilities have helped him deal with the nightmares, even if she was just repressing them temporarily.

Rosalina stood behind Roxas as he sat on a platform, and she placed her hands over his head, closing her eyes in focus.

Rosalina: You've been very helpful these past few weeks, whether it was general maintenance, or providing power to parts of the observatory that were otherwise shut down, when I was unable to gather the materials myself. I know I said you had to try and manage the nightmares yourselves, that running away would not help the problem, only make it worse, festering it. But if I'm going to continue relying on your help, I owe you the chance at a clear head and a sound night's sleep.

Roxas: And I'm forever grateful for the help you've given me too, but if I wanted to deal with my nightmares, I would've stayed home instead of moving away from it.

Rosalina opened her eyes, but kept her stance behind Roxas.

Rosalina: I've never pried more than I needed to, based on what I've seen in your head, you have suffered much. You've lost friends, your self-identity, your confidence, and it's possible that going back there may cause more unpleasant sensations to erupt. But you can still confront your nightmares while keeping distance from those you believe are provoking them.

Roxas: How so?

Rosalina: Keeping a distance from your old life won't make the nightmares go away, but it can make it easier for you to manage them on your own, to overcome them. But ignoring them and attempting to bury them won't help the matter, regardless how far you run, it'll only make them worse.

Roxas: So you're an astronomer, witch, and shrink too?

Rosalina: *chuckles* If that's how you want to see it.

She removed her hand from behind Roxas' head, evidently having finished putting up her mental blocks for his nightmares.

Rosalina: There, that should afford you another few peaceful nights, but-

Roxas: I know, I know… I'm running out of things to do here to be of help to you, and soon I won't be getting any more freebies from you.

Rosalina didn't say a word, only looked on as he spoke.

Roxas: It's fine, I understand, it's only fair. You've been so helpful to me, I can't even tell you how much, but I can't expect you to keep helping me if I can't offer something in return. The day I realize I'm just freeloading here, I'll be off, and you won't have to worry about me again. You can get back to your work, without me distracting you.

Rosalina: You're far from a distraction, Roxas. Your very presence here has been insightful. There are other worlds than this, worlds that are populated, have their own rules, their own expression of abilities, and I find it simply fascinating. Your role as a "Keyblade Wielder" was especially intriguing, that there is an intergalactic law enforcement that monitors the known universe-

Roxas: I wouldn't exactly say it like that. There **was** intergalactic law enforcement, until it all but died out many years ago. What's left are a small group of hardworking kids trying to rebuild it, and God knows when they'll reach the same level of efficiency as the ones before them, preferably without killing each other over power.

Rosalina: This power, you called it "Kingdom Hearts"?

Roxas: Yup, though technically I shouldn't be telling you any of this, but… after everything I gave for it, only to lose so much, I just don't care anymore. Maybe keeping everyone ignorant is not the best way to go.

Rosalina: I'd have to agree with you, though I may be biased in my reasoning, even though I'd like to say it's from a scientific standpoint.

Roxas: *chuckles* Honestly, I don't mind either way, it's better than someone who disagrees with me, let alone trying to tell me how to do my former job.

He got up and walked away, hoping to find something to do, because he and Rosalina both knew, he couldn't stay here forever, and he couldn't rely on her help forever. In fact, while she was putting up her mental barriers, she gleamed that he planned on leaving as soon as the following day, taking advantage of the renewed barriers to make space-travel easier. Rosalina never found him as a burden, and would've been fine if he stayed if only to be her test subject, but she knew that Roxas wasn't one to sit by idly, he **needed** to do something, something that made him feel good about himself because it was productive, and to justify to himself that abandoning his old life was the right decision.

Ω

A couple of hours later, Roxas sat over the edge of the Garage platform on the Observatory, his legs dangling without a care in the world. Speaking of, what world lay below this Observatory? It never occurred to Roxas to go down there and explore, though from what he briefly attained from questioning Rosalina, the world below comprised of at least two notable kingdoms, always at war with one another. A princess that was always kidnapped by some bipedal turtle-like creatures called Koopas, with their king having a particular grudge against the princess, but oddly enough, her plumber too.

From the space station, Roxas saw city lights that spanned what he presumed to be continents, and the way the cities were placed caused their unified lights to take the shape of 5-point stars, not unlike the Lumas, even down to their two eyes, only the shape of the star-lights were more straight than bulgy. It was a beautiful sight, especially at night, beautiful enough to almost tempt Roxas to go down there…. But he could never bring himself to. "Fun" was not a luxury that Roxas had, or so he had convinced himself. He wouldn't indulge himself in such festivities until…. Until he stopped feeling guilty, depressed, haunted, and a host of other jumbled emotions. Oh… but it looks so fun and inviting down there…

Rosalina walked up behind him, but before she could say anything, he spoke.

Roxas: I've decided to leave now actually. I don't think there's anything else for me to do here, and… I don't want to go on a pleasure cruise down there until I've figured some stuff out.

Rosalina: Where will you go?

Roxas: Nowhere in particular, but… something in _that_ direction seems to be pulling me. I realized that I was heading in that general direction before I stumbled into your Observatory. I don't know what's over there, but maybe it'll be something that can help me.

Rosalina turned and looked in the direction Roxas pointed at, and did not try to hide her concern.

Rosalina: You don't want to go that way.

Roxas stood up and showed mild curiosity at her wavering tone.

Roxas: Why not?

Rosalina: I didn't know if I should tell you, since you said you wanted to leave those kinds of things behind, but… there's an ominous force in that direction. A massive armada that has been taking over worlds. One of the curses of knowledge is that you tend to find out impending threats before anyone else, and find that you're powerless to do something about it.

Roxas: Can't you just tell the people in that world down there that something might be coming their way?

Rosalina: And then what? I could show them irrefutable evidence, but what would they do with it? Sure, they _may_ stop fighting each other, but they would likely end up in a state of mass panic, and a different kind of chaos would take over, one of mindless fear and selfishness as they all try to take provisions for themselves. And there's no guarantee they have the resources to even fend off the armada.

Roxas: Maybe, but is that our choice to make?

Rosalina: Well, I won't stop you if **you** want to warn them…

Roxas: Touché.

Roxas smirked at her leniency, then walked towards the general direction that she warned him of.

Roxas: But I think I'll head over there regardless. It seems I have nowhere else to go anyway except back, and I can't do that, not now.

Rosalina: How do you know the armada won't act hostile towards you?

Roxas: I don't.

Rosalina: You don't _care_?

Roxas didn't answer her, but stopped in his tracks.

Rosalina: Do you have a death-wish, Roxas?

Roxas: I merely wish to forget, or at the very least, not be hurt by my memories anymore. It… physically hurts, and I can't seem to move on…

Rosalina: Well then, I truly hope you find peace, in whatever manner it may come to you.

He turned to her and gave a weak smile, then transformed into his Keyblade armor and jumped off the platform, summoning his Keyblade Glider, which resembled a winged waveboard, and dashed off. Rosalina looked on, worrying if she just sent a boy into the belly of the beast.

Ω

It felt SOOO nice to be free of his headaches, Roxas admitted to himself. He could at least enjoy the scenery as he flew by, something he couldn't do for a long time. Whatever sensation he felt pulling him towards the direction of the armada, it wasn't ominous to Roxas. It felt inviting, illuminating, as if promising to relieve him of his burden once and for all. It sounds like an obvious trap, set up by someone with at least as much power as Rosalina, if not far greater, but Roxas was addicted to the calmness in his head, and felt like he didn't have anything else to lose. With his friends far away behind him, Roxas was confident that any choices he makes from now on, only he would deal with the consequences.

Eventually Roxas sat on his glider as he set it to travel at its fastest speed. With the current scale of space, it was harder to tell when and if he'd reach the armada, though Roxas convinced himself he'd reach it sooner or later, he wouldn't be feeling its alluring pull if it was beyond reach. While he marveled at the sheer size of the universe that he previously couldn't see, Roxas admitted that he missed the way space appeared before, with various colors in the distance, as far as the eye can see, and densely populated with countless lifeforms, but now, while space wasn't entirely absent of colors or life, it appeared darker and emptier now, and gave off a sense of loneliness. You'd think Roxas would be ok with that, but while he wanted to be away from his friends, he did not want to be devoid of all human contact. He still yearned for friends, and for intimacy, and… he did miss his friends very much.

Roxas was too lost in thought that he almost didn't realize he was now on a collision course with a massive space-ship. If he didn't realize he had flown into its shadow, Roxas would've completely crashed into it. He came to his senses and slowed down immediately, the whip-lash almost sending him flying off his glider.

Roxas couldn't help but stare in wonder at the impressive ship in front of him. It was truly massive, bigger than most of the Nobody ships the Organization had orbiting around Twilight Town. It was mostly silver-emerald in color, and its shape resembled that of a fancy sword. What could could be considered the "handle" of the sword-like ship seemed to be the main cockpit, if Roxas had to guess based on its appearance, and general knowledge of spaceships. There were other large ships flying behind it, though not quite as large and decorative as this one. There were enough ships to make up a fleet, but not enough to be the entire armada, Roxas thought. This must be only a portion of the ships that he ran into.

Not long after he encountered the ship, several starfighters emerged from the main ship and flew towards Roxas. They slowed down as they approached him, and while he raised his hands in cooperation, he showed no visible signs of concern despite how aggressively they approached him.

Pilot: Unknown aircraft! You are to follow us into the hangar bay and be escorted to the detention center. DO NOT resist, or we will fire!

Roxas: Sure, of course.

_Friendly bunch_, Roxas thought to himself. He followed the leading starfighter at a decent pace while he was surrounded by 3 other fighters. If things do go south, Roxas felt he'd have no trouble escaping, and since his peaceful mind also brought up a sense of euphoria, Roxas was content on whether he had to fight his way out or not.

When he arrived in the landing bay of the ship, he transformed out of his armor and de-summoned his keyblade glider, jumping down onto the platform seamlessly. He was met with many guards pointing their guns at him while the starfighters that escorted him landed. Roxas couldn't help but smile, he'd never had this kind of experience before. In another life, he'd been on a large space-ship when he first met Stitch, but this kind of recognition was rather refreshing, even if it wasn't entirely friendly.

Guard Captain: This way.

The captain and several other guards led Roxas into what he presumed was the "detention center", and followed them without quarrel. Four of the guards had guns, but two of them held swords that Roxas felt they resembled Keyblades, only less ornate and missing the keychain, similar to Riku's Keyblade of Heart when he was Xehanort's thrall. This fascinated Roxas, and he took the opportunity to observe the ship's interior, as it looked very futuristic and technologically superior to anything he'd seen before, outside of the Castle That Never Was anyway.

Roxas: Any particular reason I'm being detained, sir?

Guard Captain: We will be the ones asking the questions, not you.

Roxas: Well, if you want me to cooperate without trouble, you'd at least answer me that.

Roxas stopped in his tracks, prompting the four guards to stop and point their guns at him, and the other two to point their blades at him. He didn't know why he said that in such a provocative manner, as he wasn't particularly looking for a fight, and yet, now that he was feeling so much better, he couldn't help but itch for a fight, if only to see what those two guards with blades were capable of.

Guard Captain: Who do you think you are to demand **our** cooperation?

Roxas: Someone who can very quickly ruin your otherwise routinely-slow day.

The guards looked at each other, then at their captain, secretly eager to see how he'd respond to the rebellious boy.

Guard Captain: Do you even know the situation you're in?

Roxas: I know I don't need to rely on your kind of tech to survive in space, and that I made it this far all by myself. You wanna see what else I'm capable of? Tell your men to fire their guns and find out.

Before the captain could answer, a door behind him opened, and another man, dressed in red and holding a small screen, approached them. The captain was startled and turned to face the man in red.

Guard Captain: Admiral!

The captain saluted the admiral while the other guards kept their guns pointed at Roxas.

Admiral: At ease, captain, I'll take it from here.

Guard Captain: Are you sure, sir?

Admiral: Relax, the boy's right, if he wanted to attack us, he could, and do considerable damage before we finally apprehended him. Even with two knights escorting him, a fight right now would be more trouble than it's worth.

The captain saluted the Admiral again, and ordered the guards with guns to stand down. The knights, however, held their blades up.

Admiral: You too, guys. You can accompany as per protocol, but I don't expect him to cause any trouble as long as we talk things out like adults.

The two bladed guards de-summoned their blades, in a manner similar to how Roxas and other Keyblade wielders do so. _So they're called "Knights"_, Roxas thought to himself. If they were Keyblade wielders, they didn't wear the same attire as he used to. Their attire consisted of dark red cloaks and a hood, and their mouths were covered by a partial face-mask. They _did_ look like they'd pose more of a challenge than the regular guards, Roxas admitted, but still nothing Roxas couldn't handle. It may have been a while since he was in a serious fight, but he didn't think his skills had atrophied that much.

Admiral: Come with me to my quarters, and we'll talk there. What is your name, son?

Roxas: I'm Roxas.

Admiral: My name is Char Aznable, and as you might've guessed, I'm the admiral of this fleet. The ship you're on is called the _Damocles_.

Ω

In Admiral Char's quarters, Roxas paced around, taking in the sites. He quietly admits to himself the impressive structure the _Damocles_ is, a ship that puts the Organization's to shame, with technology that not even the Keyblade Wielders seemed to have achieved yet. He then looked back at the door he used to enter the room, and saw the two Knights standing side-by-side, ever cautious.

Roxas: You trust those guys?

Char Aznable: They outrank the captains on here, but not me. And yes, I trust them, they're quite obedient, and among the finest soldiers in our military.

Roxas: What are they, exactly? Their weapons, they-

Char Aznable: Look like your keyblade?

Roxas turned to face Char, who met the boy's gaze with a chuckle.

Char Aznable: At the moment, I cannot tell you, questions like that you'll have to ask our Emperor.

Roxas: Your "Emperor", huh?

Char Aznable: Yes, Emperor Doom, our supreme leader and the architect of all this impressive technology you see before you.

Roxas looks beside Char and notices a propaganda poster with Doom's face on it.

Roxas: You seriously have no problem following guy who calls himself "Doom"?

Char Aznable: We don't choose our last names.

Roxas: Oh, so it's his ACTUAL name? And here I thought he was trying too hard.

Char Aznable: I can understand from your point of view how… pretentious he might seem, at first-

Roxas: Not to mention him dominating other worlds.

Char Aznable: I won't lie, we are expanding our territory, and while we wish to take over without incident-

Roxas: You show up with the big guns, threatening them if they decide to do anything else?

Char Aznable: [smiles] Yes. We need something to act as a display of our power, to show that we're not messing around. Once we get to the point, we then show our more benevolent side. Worlds with the most potential need the least changes, they need only guidance, direction into the routes we prefer for them. Worlds that require more… _intervention_ on our part, need more than just a display of force.

Roxas: And how do you define "intervention"?

Char decides not to hold back, as he sees in the boy's eyes someone who will not accept anything other than blunt truthful answers. Yet the boy didn't not come off as judgmental, despite his curt replies, instead he came off as cautiously curious.

Char Aznable: Let's say, we start off with warning shots, and I don't mean from mere rifles.

The admiral then waves his hand, seemingly activating a holographic screen. On it, Roxas sees video recordings of a different ship than the _Damocles_, this one seemed to be designed after some kind of knight or warrior, since the bow had what appeared to be a helmet or mask covering the cockpit. The hull was somewhat elongated, with 4-6 bat-like wings stretching from the back corners of the ship. The more Roxas looked at the ship, the more he found it more visually intimidating than the _Damocles_.

Char Aznable: This is the _Halberd_, another flagship in the armada, and the one we most often use to display our strength, though trust me when I say it's far from the only one capable of immense firepower.

Roxas: Doom made this ship too?

Char Aznable: No, this shape was won over when Doom defeated its pilot, a being whose powers **far** surpass my own. His might was closer to your power level from what I've heard, but he was still no match for Doom, and in the end, submitted to his new Emperor.

Roxas continued watching the video feed, a massive laser fired somewhere from the _Halberd_ landed and detonated in the distance, causing a massive explosion. The glow of the blast illuminated Roxas' eyes as he watched.

Char Aznable: That blast took out an entire country, an enemy nation to the one we ended up assimilating. They were understandably skeptical of our intents, and suspicious of our nature, and so we showed them a fraction of what we are capable of, and why we don't take "no" for an answer.

The video feed showed what Roxas assumed to be the nation's leaders bowing before an armored man in a green cloak. He surmised that this man was Doom, due to his resemblance to the caricature from the propaganda poster.

Roxas: How were these people treated by your forces afterwards?

Char Aznable: They ended up cooperating as we had hoped, and Doom, who had done extensive research on them beforehand, knew exactly how to aid them, and what direction to take their society's development. It still amazes me how much information that man can accrue and process in a short amount of time.

Roxas: How long has Doom been at this?

Char Aznable: His actual conquest? At least 5 years from what I know. How long has he been planning it? I honestly cannot say, as the preparations for this kind of ambitious endeavor would take many more lifetimes than a man is capable of living. Despite having seen his records for myself, I still believe he must be far older than he claims.

Roxas: Wait, he actually showed you his birth certificate?

Char Aznable: For certain individuals who impress him enough to strike his fancy, Doom is willing to share some personal information. In fact that's how he managed to convince me to work for him.

Roxas: You mean other than shoving a bunch of spaceships in your face?

Char Aznable: Yes, that is how he approached my world, but it did not phase me personally. When he approached me, and we talked, I found him to be more than just a tyrant dressed like Death with an apocalyptic name. No, Doom was truly a scholar, a genius, a visionary like nothing I'd ever seen before.  
He seemed to know me better than I knew myself, as he revealed to me my true potential, and helped me master it faster than I would have done on my own.

Roxas: Your "full potential"?

Char Aznable: _I am a Newtype, you see, a sub-species of humans._

Char's words were not uttered from his lips, but appeared to pierce Roxas' minds, which startled him. His reaction made the admiral smile.

Char Aznable: In other worlds, we might be called "mutants", but the label is irrelevant, we are believed to be the evolved forms of basic humans, born with certain abilities ranging into the superhuman. We are not to be confused with mages, who can achieve power through external means, something that theoretically anyone can do. No, newtypes, or mutants, inherit their powers, which are for the most part unique to each and every one of them.

Roxas: And yours is telepathy?

Char Aznable: That is a simple way of putting it, but sure. I try not to rely on it too much, I prefer to use my own skills that I've developed after years of serving in the army, but it certainly has its benefits. Doom has opened my eyes to a universe I never knew existed, our worlds are but nothing but individual pieces of sand stretching across an infinite beach.

The admiral's choice of imagery sent a chill down Roxas' spine, and he wondered if Char chose those specific words when their minds touched.

Roxas: It seems this Doom guy has it all figured out.

Char Aznable: Why not meet him yourself? We're already here.

Roxas grunted at Char's brisk suggestion.

Char Aznable: The _Damocles_ is among several flagships capable of instantaneous travel, though when leading in conquests, they travel at slower speeds, light-speed, in order for the rest of the fleet to keep up. Doom seems to have been expecting you, as I had strict orders to take you to him if and when we encountered you.

Roxas stared behind him at the two Knights, then returned his gaze to Char.

Roxas: Can I assume I have a choice on whether I want to meet him, or leave right now?

Char Aznable: Of course, I'm merely ordered to bring you to his home world, I will not force you to commune with Doom directly. You're free to fly on out of here if you wish, and you have my word that no one will stop you.

Roxas: Why do I feel like there's still a catch?

Char Aznable: If there's a catch, it's only that you get the pleasure of seeing the unparalleled beauty of his world as you depart from it, which may entice you to seek him out on your own. If you have any doubts of what we do for other worlds, there's no better place to observe than the first world he conquered, his own.

The admiral had a point. While the thought of Doom favorably treating his own world over others quickly crossed Roxas' mind, a tyrant would not necessarily change behavior when managing his territory, especially when expanding it. The people here could give a clear view on how they have been treated by Doom, and whether they genuinely perceive him as a compassionate ruler or not.

Roxas: What kind of world is Doom from?

Char Aznable: A world where the line between science and magic is blurred, and the two opposing practices meet. A land of alchemy, an old science that has since evolved into chemistry, but surviving ancient texts give scientists a window into the unpredictable world of magic. Below is a world of true progress, and a beacon of light and hope for the rest of the Empire.

The admiral did a decent job at selling it, Roxas admitted, though he still harbored some doubts that he kept to himself.

Roxas: In that case, I guess it can't hurt to at least take in the scenery as I leave.

Char Aznable: Certainly, this way if you please.

Char lead Roxas out of his quarters, with the two Knights marching behind them. When they had finally reached the hangar, the doors opened up for Roxas, revealing clouds below. He showed slight disappointment at the view.

Roxas: Couldn't have found somewhere else with a clearer? The clouds don't exactly help your sales pitch.

Char Aznable: Like I said, you're free to see the land for yourself, or you could leave now, without anything baiting you to stay. The choice is yours.

Roxas stared at him, then faced the clouds below. If he had to be honest, he was intrigued at what kind of world someone like "Doom" lived in, and if this world was an indication for how other worlds would be treated under his rule. Roxas took a step, and dove out of the ship and into the clouds.


	6. Chapter 6

Many children wonder what clouds would feel like if they held a piece of one in their hand. Would it be puffy, like the things that fill up your pillow? Would it have a taste, like cotton candy? Would it feel comfy and bouncy, like when you jump on a freshly-made king-size bed?

Roxas dived through the clouds as he noticed is face and hands get wet, and smiled to himself. _Turns out_, he thought, _they're just made of water_.

After piercing through the ceiling of clouds, Roxas finally gets to see the land of Doom's origins. He expected an industrial wasteland, with the ground buried under a planet-spanning city of skyscrapers. He thought the clouds may have come from the fumes expended from the numerous factories spread throughout the world, though that thought quickly abated when Roxas realized the clouds were evaporated water instead of toxic gases.

No, what Roxas saw was a lush green country-land, with forests and acres of fertile land spanning in all directions. It was beautiful, very similar to the mountains and hills Roxas observed surrounding Twilight Town. He had never got the chance to explore the lands outside his town, let alone in the morning time. His days were always wasted on school, or otherwise spent on trivial activities with his friends. If he ever bothered to see the lands beyond the comforts of his foster home, he was confident they would look as luscious as this.

Roxas twirled in the air and summoned his glider, speeding in a straight direction while taking in the sites. There's no way a tyrant ruled this land, everything he'd been taught about them while he lived as Ventus under Eraqus' teachings gave him the impression that they were selfish, destructive, and stripped their land of their resources while working their subjects to death. He then remembered what Admiral Char said, how he himself initially viewed Doom in a similar light, not to mention the armada of ships Roxas got to see for himself. None of that seemed to mesh with the lush countryside Roxas now observed, and wondered if this was some kind of trick.

Not long after Roxas he arrived in this world, he saw what appeared to be a town or city in the distance. _Alright, time to see Doom's subjects_, Roxas thought.

It wasn't long until he arrived at the city, which appeared to be a densely-packed metropolis, the buildings were fairly large and colonial in design, and in the center of the city Roxas saw what he assumed to be a royal or government building, due to its fancier design and headquarters-like aesthetic. Roxas decided it'd be there where he'd start getting some answers about Doom and his homeworld.

Normally Roxas would try to blend into the populace, avoid drawing attention to himself or the dangers of "meddling". However, since this Doom person went ahead and screwed the rules, Roxas wasn't about to adhere to them either, plus it'd be faster this way, he wouldn't have to waste time trying to find a way inside the building.

When he was close enough to the building, allowing himself to be seen, Roxas descended into the square-wall surrounding the headquarters building, and noticed he was welcomed by guards pointing weapons at him, how familiar…

In addition to the guards, there were also robot-like humanoids that were scattered across the area, and they took flight and surrounded Roxas, pointing their hands at him, with the hands glowing indicating that they were capable of discharging some kind of harmful energy attack, as Roxas surmised.

Robot: You are trespassing on government property! By the order of Lord Doom, identify yourself and do not resist!

Roxas didn't mean to sound cliché, but…

Roxas: Take me to your leader. My name is Roxas, and I am a Keyblade Wielder.

He summoned his Keyblade, the Two-Become-One, to display his authority. While the human guards seemed a little confused, the Doombots lowered their arms.

Doombot: We are to direct you into the Command Headquarters to the local governor, Führer-King Roy Mustang.

_So I don't get to see Doom right away, huh?_ Roxas thought to himself as he jumped down from his glider before it de-materialized, impressing the human guards. Roxas then followed the Doombots inside Command Headquarters.

The atmosphere wasn't as adversarial as inside the _Damocles_, which Roxas appreciated, but he still got plenty of looks from the locals, which is to be expected he supposed. He and the Doombots finally reached Mustang's office, as shown by the fancy name-tag above the double-doors. Inside was a man who appeared to be in his early-30s, and beside him a woman whose intense gaze betrayed her stunning beauty.

Roy Mustang: I'm not the "leader" of this world, but I am the highest-ranking member in our country, Amestris. You'll have to speak to me first before you can get an audience with Emperor Doom.

Roxas: Fair enough.

Roy Mustang: You all can go.

Roy dismissed the human guards as well as the Doombots, but the woman stayed by his side.

Roy Mustang: If you'll allow me to keep my personal bodyguard here with us, she's proved herself to me more times than I can count, I trust her with sensitive information as well as my life.

Roxas: I don't blame you for keeping her here, she looks like someone you wouldn't want to piss off.

He approached Mustang's bodyguard and offered to shake her hand. Both Mustang and the woman were slightly put off by Roxas' formality, but she extended her hand in return.

Bodyguard: I am Lt. Riza Hawkeye, sir.

Roxas: No need with the "sir", I may have made quite an entrance, but it was only to speed things up and meet with Doom and any other local leaders.

Riza Hawkeye: May I ask why you have come here to meet with Mustang and Doom?

Roxas: I come from a world, from a system of worlds, actually, beyond this one. Over there I have certain authority of my own, and…

Roxas decided not to tell them that he was honorably discharged.

Roxas: Well, where I'm from, Doom's activity is highly concerning and goes against our… "protocols" of interfering with other worlds, let alone conquering them and possibly letting them know of each other's existence. I'm here to… see if Doom hasn't created chaos or something with all that he's done.

Riza and Roy look at each other, each silently noticing the boy's somewhat hesitant manner of speech, as if unsure of his role or authority in the matter.

Roy Mustang: When you met up with the Doombots, you said you were a… "Keyblade Wielder"?

He asked so with clear indication that he had no idea what that was, and so Roxas nodded and summoned his Keyblade again. The gesture slightly startled Roy and Riza, having never seen this type of power before.

Roy Mustang: Amazing, I take it you didn't use alchemy to summon that, did you?

Roxas: Umm, no, I didn't, just magic.

Roy Mustang: Well, whatever you are, the Doombots allowed you to pass, so you must have some kind of authority, or else you wouldn't have made it this far, especially in the Capital World of the Empire.

Roxas: I must admit that it's…. rather impressive, and beautiful, not at all what I was expecting.

Roy Mustang: I'm not surprised that you were surprised, please, sit.

Roy motioned Roxas to sit on a chair opposite of his desk. The boy sat, and Roy quickly followed by sitting in his own chair, with Riza standing idly by.

Roy Mustang: When Emperor Doom showed up, it wasn't exactly a peaceful time. We had been dealing with a major crisis, beings called homunculi had essentially been terrorizing our country, and their leader, a powerful being who called himself "Father", had nearly annihilated our entire country when he achieved God-hood. If that doesn't sound bad enough, we were also dealing with an invasion from the large country Drachma to our north. You with me so far, kid?

Roxas: So… what's a homunculus?

Roy Mustang: Oh, my apologies, a homunculus is an artificial being created by alchemy. Their creation is forbidden to us alchemists, due to their potential combative applications, dangerous methods of formation, and their abilities to easily overpower most people. I was told that Father was the first homunculus, and it showed when he was powerful enough to obtain abilities which allowed him to defy our natural laws.  
During the battle, I had lost my eyesight, and our two war heroes, Edward and Alphonse Elric, suffered worse losses. Those two boys had gained quite a reputation before they joined the military, in which the older brother, Edward, would go by the code-name of "Fullmetal". They had violated the law that banned human transmutation when they tried to bring back their deceased mother. The resulting transmutation created a…

His face showed slight signs of disgust and horror, which he tried to hide but Roxas managed to notice, peaking his interest.

Roy Mustang: Well, it wasn't their mother. But that particular failure wasn't all that happened; Fullmetall lost an arm and a leg, while the younger brother, Alphonse, lost his entire body. Fullmetal managed to miraculously bind Alphonse's soul to a set of armor that was nearby, using his own blood to form a rune. Despite their transgressions, I enrolled them in the military, since it was clear they were child prodigies, but in dire need of further mentoring.

Riza Hawkeye: Eventually we managed to defeat Father, but in doing so, Al gave his soul to restore Ed's lost right arm. Ed tried to bring back Alphonse himself, but before he could…

Roy Mustang: Doom appeared… He said he came from the country Latveria, which is to our west beyond the countries Creta and Donbachi, and south of Drachma. He… did not have kind words to say to us, as he had blamed us all for abusing alchemy, allowing it to get to the scale that Father displayed, and declared he would take over Amestris and ensure our alchemy wouldn't get out of hand again.  
We couldn't exactly stop him, he came in and… swiftly dealt with Father, singlehandedly I might add, even though we were all fighting for our lives. Granted, Father had been weakened by then, thanks to Fullmetal's biological father pitching in, but even so, the homunculus Father was still a force to be reckoned with. Not long after Father's defeat, a fleet of flying ships the likes of which I've never seen appeared, as well as an army of those metal soldiers you saw outside, they resemble the armor Doom wears, and they carry his voice when they speak.  
Our Fullmetal Alchemist, of course, wasn't having it, as he was hellbent on resisting Doom if it meant he could get his brother back, since Doom was now the now the one standing in the way between Fullmetal and Alphonse. Instead, Doom did something none of us expected. Despite apparently being aware of the taboo that Fullmetal and Alphonse violated with their human transmutation, he offered, no, **insisted**, to go retrieve Alphonse in Fullmetal's place. To prove he could do so, Doom healed my eyesight like it was nothing. This was not only to act as a display of his power, but also acted as a "measure of good faith" in his words, to prove that he would not treat us the way our previous King Bradley had done, nor would he allow Drachma to continue their attacks on our country…

Roy paused as he recollected, and Roxas could all but see the man flashing back to the time he's describing, his face expressed awe as if it only happened yesterday.

Roy Mustang: And he did it, somehow, without a Philosopher's stone, and even without alchemy. Just before that, he did the same thing to Fullmetal's automail leg, completely reviving his organic one, and then retrieved Alphonse Elric, and in good health too. Apparently the boy's body was terribly malnourished while it remained in… wherever Doom pulled him from. I've been there once myself, The Gate. But Doom managed to merge Al's body and soul, and then revived Al's body to its physical prime, before emerging from that dimension, with Al wrapped in Doom's cloak. It was… a miracle to say the least…

Riza Hawkeye: Not long after that, Doom stayed true to his word, dealt with Drachma, and appointed Mustang as the King, acting as the regional governor for Amestris. Since then, Doom has monitored us with his Doombots, ensuring that we adhered to our rules of alchemy, including the ban on human transmutation as well as any other taboos we had.

Roxas: Wait, he allowed you guys to continue using alchemy?

Roy Mustang: Indeed, and not only that, but he introduced transmutation circles and arrays that we'd never even seen, and taught us abilities of alchemy that neither we nor the Xing Empire to our east, now the Xing Province, had ever discovered before. Our relations with other countries increased, our Kingdoms flourished, and the very concept of war was abolished. We had feared we had jumped out of the melting pot and into the fire when Doom showed up, but despite the way he looks and sounds, he seems to genuinely care about his subjects.  
While some people might argue with this next point, Doom also helped us ease tensions with Ishval, a small nation that was absorbed into Amestris and was later rendered desolate after a civil war, an incident that resulted in the decline of their land. We had provided them with wheat and cotton to plant and harvest, in order to revitalize their economy and establish it as a major trading outpost between Amestris and Xing.  
Sometime afterwards, despite reparations having gone well, many surviving Ishvalans and even some Amestrians demanded that Amestris be held eternally responsible for their country suffering, and that our reparation attempts were not sufficient. Regardless whether or not that was true, Doom forced the Ishvalans to cease their demands, citing conquest as a "natural part of humanity", and that in his "mercy" with not only granting them with newly-fertile land, but allowing them to continue practicing their beliefs "within reason", they had received reparations above and beyond what they "deserved". He then claimed that their blind faith in their obsolete beliefs and lifestyle prevented them from making proper use of their land, or traveling to other regions for better attempts at farming or at the least, trading. He then "reminded" them who was in charge, and how much they benefited from his and Amestris' interference with their territory, and that they would have completely died out otherwise.

Roxas: He sounds quite confident.

Roy Mustang: Doom had a point in that Amestris, under a more benevolent ruler, did contribute to Ishval's blooming conditions, and that, before we annexed them, they were living in poor conditions under their own practices. Whether their land had scarce resources and poor farming conditions to begin with, or their beliefs really were what prevented them from making good use of the terrain, after Father's defeat they **did** greatly benefit from us, that much is undeniable. Thankfully, most Ishvalans seemed to be thankful just to have their Holy Land back, and that the people directly responsible for the civil war have been dealt with, so they harbor no ill will against the current administration, to which they agree has lived up to our word in terms of reparations.

Roy took a minute to let Roxas absorb that little history lesson, as the boy had literally just arrived, only to be briefed on the last 5 years of complicated territory disputes and internal conflicts, which was only the tip of the iceberg of Amestris and other countries' long history. Finally, Roy spoke up again.

Roy Mustang: Before I send you off to meet Doom himself, I ask that you visit the Elric brothers. I've briefed you on Doom's actions as a whole, but I suggest you see how he affected people on a more personal level. The man can be quite intense, as he's the no bullshit-type, but… he means well. His "iron fist" demeanor is his way of ensuring that people get along, for better or worse, and so far, I can honestly say it's been for the better.

Roxas: What do you expect these Elric brothers to give me that you already haven't?

Roy Mustang: Insight, they've conversed with him almost as much as I have, but where as my point of view was from an administrative level, theirs was more… "paternal", for lack of a better word. Those boys also deserve credit in shaping the future of this country, so you should at least hear them out too before you confront the Emperor himself.

Roxas thought a bit, considering Roy's words. It would help if he also talked among members of the populace, citizens who feel most of the effects of rulers, more so than the government or military anyway, but not just anyone would do. If these Elric brothers are as important as Roy says, they could give further valuable insight on Doom's character, and his overall views for an Empire.

Roxas: Ok, you win. Where can I find the Elric brothers?

Roy smiled and nodded.

Roy Mustang: Thank you, and follow me.

The two walked until they were back at the entrance of Command Headquarters, where Roy was given a detailed map of the country which he then gave to Roxas.

Roy Mustang: Follow **this** trail to the southeastern region, and you'll reach the rural town Resembool where the Elrics live. Once you get there, simply ask directions to their house. I promise your trip won't disappoint, at the very least you'll appreciate the view.

Roxas: I don't know how it'll top the view I already got when I first came in, but I'll certainly make use of it. Thank you again for your time.

Roy Mustang: One more thing before you leave.

Roxas turned and face Roy, while Riza looked at him with confusion and slight concern, as the Doombots were present, but that didn't always stop Roy from speaking his mind.

Roy Mustang: You may not always agree with Doom's methods, it's understandable that a ruler has to make choices that don't always seem pure, and people of future generations will be quick to judge the past with a modern lens, but keep this in mind: he could've done a lot worse to us, and still can. Even with our advancements, we're at his mercy. But I cannot deny how grateful I am to him, for improving our relations with Ishval as well as other countries, and for helping the Elric brothers without leaving any lasting consequences. He will come at you as someone who believes he is **always** right, who believes that the ends justify the means. All I ask is that you approach him with a neutral mind, and since your Keyblade implies you have certain administrative duties yourself, that you at least sympathize with the choices he's had to make, and how he's handled his Empire up until now. Can you promise me that?

Roxas: Honestly, I didn't know what to expect when I came here, or what to do if I had a problem with how things were. Not too long ago I also had to deal with a big fight against someone who, like your "Father", tried to be a god. Last I heard my people are still in reparations themselves, so I don't want them to deal with another threat while they're still vulnerable. I'm hoping Doom is as great a leader as I've been led to believe.

Roy looked like he wanted to warn Roxas of something, but Riza held his hand and shook her head, trying to hold him back. Roy looked at her, his face torn over what to do, but insisted on saying his piece.

Roy Mustang: I'm not gonna lie then, your people might resist at first, and it won't be pretty.

Then he turned and faced the Doombots, aware that they are the Emperor's eyes throughout the Empire.

Roy Mustang: But Doom WIILL prove himself to them, won't he? I've worked with him enough to know he won't deny them the opportunity to talk things out before risking another conflict, that he really does have their best interests at heart. After everything he's done here, and everything he's preached, what kind of man would he be if he went back on his words now?

Riza facepalmed, but Roxas liked how Roy was putting Doom on the spot, in front of other people too, as various guards had also gathered to help Roy see Roxas off. Then Roxas addressed the Doombots.

Roxas: My next stop is the Elric brothers, so your subjects have one more chance to sell you to me as this great and benevolent ruler, because after that, I'm coming for you, and I better like what I hear.

Ω

Resembool, well-known in the region as a sheep-farming town which chiefly exports wool to be used in the manufacture of military uniforms. Each year, the town holds a large Sheep Festival to celebrate the start of Spring, as it seemed to be the case this year.

Alphonse Elric has returned from his latest trip from the East, in the land of Xing where they study their variant of Alchemy called "Alkehestry", which mainly focuses on medicinal uses and fashioning elixirs, as opposed to Amestrian Alchemy's focus on transmuting matter. Accompanying him is his tutor and girlfriend, Mei, a princess of Xing; and her miniature pet panda, Xiao-Mei . The three have been staying at Edward Elric's house, helping them prepare for the festival. By now, Edward has married his childhood friend Winry Rockbell, and they have two children, a boy and a girl.

All this Roxas found out when he landed in Resembool and met Pinako Rockbell, Winry's grandmother, though not before proving himself a benevolent foreigner, since the town was previously attacked by Ishvalan terrorists for their affiliation with the Amestris military, not to mention it was annexed by Doom.

Pinako Rockbell: Hehe, thank you for taking the time to listen to an old lady's stories!

Roxas: It's really no problem, Mrs Rockbell, any information I can get on this place, the better.

Pinako Rockbell: And don't you think I'll take my eyes of you! You may be a young and handsome lad, but those boys have been through enough, and I'll be damned if I let you start something up again.

Roxas: Far from it, ma'am. As I said before, I merely want to know more about this "Emperor Doom" who seems to have made himself comfortable as the ruler of this world.

Pinako Rockbell: Ah yes, that man…. You can bet I gave him the same earful I gave you when you first walked on my doorstep.

Roxas: Oh you did, huh?

Roxas couldn't help but chuckle, but the little lady was being serious.

Pinako Rockbell: I helped deliver those two boys, you know?! I've been their guardian ever since their mother passed away, and before that their father had disappeared. And yet I cannot help but find it difficult to read the so-called "Emperor". As a Doctor, though, Doom proved himself to be quite the genius in our various discussions, and I'm not too shabby of a doctor myself.

Roxas: Wow… yeah, that's right, when I arrived, someone said you were known here as.. uh…

Pinako Rockbell: Hmph, the "Leapoardess of Resembool"?

Roxas: Yeah, that's it.

Pinako Rockbell: Yes, well, either Herr-Doctor is a shrewd man who knows how to flatter an old lady like myself, despite his rather intense garb and appearance, or… maybe he really does have this country's best interests at heart. I know little about his homeland, Latveria, save from what the Elric's father, Hohenheim, had told me many years ago. In his travels, he saw it as a land plagued by gypsies, but it seems that not too long ago the monarchy finally dealt with them. Good riddance, I say. Gypsies are nothing but thieves and parasites, and the world is better off without them.

Roxas: Huh, so it seems gypsies aren't just a Latverian thing?

Pinako Rockbell: Hardly! We've had some pests in Amestris every now and then since Hohenheim first told me of them, and while we tried giving them aid in the form of food and shelter, they ended up stealing most of our supplies and fled in the night. I didn't want to believe the stories until I saw it for myself, and from then on, I knew better than to blindly trust foreigners. It took us a while to recover from our losses, but we did.

Roxas listened on as the old lady rambled, until she decided it was time to finally head over to the Elric's house.

Pinako Rockbell: Would you do an old lady a kindness and help pull my cart over there?

Roxas: Oh, sure, of course.

Ω

The sun had set beyond the hills of Resembool by the time Roxas, Pinako, and her dog "Den" (who had an automail front leg) arrived at the house. Roxas could smell something delicious coming from the house as they approached, and he then realized how long ago he last ate, since he was quite hungry.

On their way to the Elric brothers, Roxas, Pinako, and Den had passed by some other farmers and shepherds who were leading their sheep to some large gathering area, presumably where the festival was. Pinako then mentioned that the Elrics were cooking some food that they would then bring to the festival. Den barked and ran towards the house, where she was greeted by Winry and her baby daughter.

Winry Rockbell-Elric: Hey there, girl! So good to see you again!

She spoke to the dog in a cutesy manner, as most people do when greeting dogs. It made Roxas laugh softly, which caught Winry's attention. She looked and stared at him in perplexity, as he was a complete stranger she had never seen before, yet here he was, casually helping her grandmother pull her stuff.

Winry Rockbell-Elric: Oh, um… hello there, and you are?

Roxas: Sorry, I'm Roxas, I was just helping your grandmother bring her stuff over for the festival.

Winry Rockbell-Elric: Hmm… I've never seen you here before, you're not local, are you?

Roxas: Uh, no miss, I'm not.

Pinako Rockbell: He came here from a far-away land just to talk to the boys about the last 5 years!

Roxas: Hehe, that's putting it simply, but yeah.

Winry Rockbell-Elric: Oh? How come? And where did you come from?

Pinako Rockbell: Oh, give it a rest, Winry! He's already listened to me ramble, and he passed. Let him in and enjoy the festivities while he's here.

Roxas: Oh, I don't mean to intrude-

Pinako Rockbell: Nonsense! I can't expect you to leave so soon after coming such a long way, and not even observe a little Resembool spirit!

Winry and Roxas looked at her comically, giant sweat-drops forming on their foreheads. Roxas decided to play along for now, and it appeared Winry thought so too.

Winry Rockbell-Elric: Well, thank you so much for helping her out. Help me bring these inside, and I'll introduce you to Ed and Al, ok?

Roxas: Sure…

He was not expecting to stay here long, and the idea of spending time in this festival made him anxious. He wasn't quite ready to be around a lot of people, especially with the inevitable loud noises that will follow.

Winry Rockbell-Elric: Here it is, boys!

Edward Elric: Oh, finally! Now we can get start- oh? Who's this?

Roxas finally got a good look at the Elric brothers. They both had golden-blonde hair, but the slightly shorter brother wore his long and tied up in a ponytail, while the other taller brother had his cut short and neat with a parting on the left side.

Roxas: My name is Roxas, and I take it you guys are Edward and Alphonse Elric? The Fullmetal and Armored Alchemists?

Alphonse Elric: That's right.

Edward Elric: Hold on! You may have passed Granny's test, but not mine. NOW! Which of us is the OLDER brother?

Winry Rockbell-Elric: Oh good grief…

Alphonse Elric: Ah hehe, E-

Edward Elric: ZIP IT! I wanna hear him say it.

Ed walked towards Roxas until they were less than a foot from each other, with Ed apparently trying to stare Roxas eye-to-eye. Roxas stared at him, not at all in the mood to play games, but based on everyone else's reactions, this seemed to be something he had to get done, and the quicker the better.

Roxas: Well, I'd say YOU are the older brother "Edward", and that over there is the younger brother, "Alphonse"… right?

Edward Elric: HA! TAKE **THAT**, MILK!

Ed walked back triumphantly, much to everyone else's embarrassment.

Roxas: Uh… was that an inside-joke or something?

Winry Rockbell-Elric: It's really nothing, the good thing is, you two shouldn't be having a problem now.

Edward Elric: Damn right, we won't be having a problem! You can hang with us for a bit while we prepare, Roxas.

Roxas: Actually, I didn't intend to stay long, really I just wanted to talk to you and your brother about Doom.

When he said that, everyone stopped what they were doing and froze in place, only moving to turn and face him.

Roxas: I don't mean to intrude, so I'll be blunt, I came all this way because I wanted to hear about this Emperor Doom, and after already talking to Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, I was directed to you guys.

Edward Elric: Oh?

Alphonse Elric: What does Doom have anything to do with us? And why do you want to know about him?

Roxas: Where I'm from, Doom could possibly be acting illegally in his whole "empire expansion" crusade, and I was told you two were among few that spent a lot of time with him. I want to hear your assessment of him before I visit the guy myself.

Winry Rockbell-Elric: Look, um… I think this can wait until after the festival-

Edward Elric: It's alright, Winry. If he said he won't be here long, then this won't take long. Besides, I'd rather enjoy the festival without having to look forward to this discussion afterwards. I take it we don't have a choice but to talk to you about this if we're gonna enjoy the night?

Roxas: No, you really don't.

Everyone else was rather surprised by Roxas' curt response, but Ed couldn't help but recognize that brusque expression when he last saw it in Mustang's face.

Edward Elric: Ok, fine, follow me and Al into the living room, we'll tell you what we know.

Roxas: Thank you.

Ω

Edward Elric: So, to sum up, you're a "keyblade wielder" from another world, one of many worlds that Doom has talked about. Your Keyblade gives you special powers and authority to police others in terms of dealing with threats that didn't originate from their world, that correct?

Roxas: Yeah, that's right.

Edward Elric: And you said you're here to investigate Doom because you think he's become one of those foreign threats to other worlds, right?

Roxas: Exactly.

Ed and Al look at each other, with Ed showing slight doubt in Roxas' story.

Alphonse Elric: After everything we've seen, and continue to see, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt, brother.

Edward Elric: *sigh* Look, Roxas, I'm not gonna pretend I love the guy, ok? But I also can't ignore how much he's helped our country, from dealing with domestic issues to resolving foreign threats like Drachma.

Alphonse Elric: Our initial concern was that Doom was just another "Father-figure" – no pun intended – a power-hungry tyrant who was only out for himself, and would trample over others to get what he wants. And while he has dealt with many issues that persisted in our country's history, in a debatably cold manner mind you, he nonetheless helped rebuilt Amestris as well as Ishval better than we could've dreamed. We're doing things with alchemy that we never thought of before, and thanks to our more efficient means of communication with Xing, we can now add medicinal applications to our achievements.  
Doom also changed Xing's monarchy to resemble our current system of electing our leaders and having term limits, so siblings will no longer have to fight and kill each other for the crown, which means Mei is no longer under any danger from anyone who would consider her a threat to claiming the throne.  
Finally, Doom brought me back, and revived Ed's lost leg, without either of us having to face considerable permanent consequences had we tried to do so ourselves.

Edward Elric: Though he did say we owed him now, and I don't like that at all.

Alphonse Elric: Well come on, brother, technically we do owe him. After trying to bring back our mother, we paid the price, and he reversed it like it was nothing-

Edward Elric: It was the WAY he said it, Al! Like he thinks he can call on us to do anything he wants, no matter how inhumane it might seem. I'd be one thing if it was just my life I'd throw away if I refused, but now I have Winry and my family as well as you, and you have Mei to worry about. I'll act friendly in public, but I'll always have to be looking over my shoulder from now on, even though I don't really want to.

Roxas: You really think Doom would do something like that? After everything he's done for you, for your country, and for the world at large, you think he'll turn around and screw you over?

Edward Elric: Hey, whose side are you on, anyway? I thought you were here because the guy was acting iffy from the start?

Roxas: I've heard many conflicting things about him. I've heard people say they're grateful for what he's done when looking at the big picture, yet a few people still seemed scared of him personally, and I just want to understand why.

Ed then looks at Al, as if signaling him to share some key piece of information that has yet to be revealed.

Alphonse Elric: Well, when Doom appeared at the Inner Gate, where my body and soul were finally reunited, Doom spoke to The Truth in defiance-

Roxas: Wait, "The Truth"?

Alphonse Elric: Yeah, brother and I first ran into it when we attempted Human Transmutation to bring back our mother. It is _this_ very entity that punished us by taking away my body and brother's limbs.

Edward Elric: I was ready to give up my ability to use alchemy if it meant bringing my brother back.

Alphonse Elric: But Doom, he…. He defied Truth. Despite being told of the consequences of going against the Law of Equivalent Exchange, and foregoing using a philosopher's stone, Doom managed to over-power Truth's abilities. It was the way Doom entered the place where my body and soul was, he…. He came **from within** the Gate… I had never seen Truth look and act so perplexed and livid before, yet it could do nothing to Doom.

Roxas: What's inside this Gate?

Both Alphonse and Edward Elric: Knowledge.

Edward Elric: Pure and raw knowledge of the world, the universe, alchemy, everything is forced into your mind from inside the Gate after you perform Human Transmutation. It's part of the toll for attempting it, though it breaks down your mind and body.

Alphonse Elric: Yet Doom crossed over without any signs and symptoms that brother and I had. After he joined my body and soul together, but before he took me out of that place, he… he said to me….

Roxas: What did he say?

Alphonse Elric:….. "I am your Truth now. Soon, I shall be everyone's."

For a moment, Roxas thought he saw Alphonse's hand tremble, but his expression was clear enough, Doom terrified him in that moment.

Edward Elric: If that doesn't sound like a power-hungry tyrant, I don't know what does…. And yet…

Alphonse Elric: He's done nothing but help us, and he has yet to indicate what it is brother and I owe him. And as I said earlier, Mei is safer now that she doesn't have to worry about the throne, and… [his face started to blush] any children we might have down the line won't be-

Edward Elric: Whoa, hold up! Did you two-?

A: NO! I mean, not yet, I MEAN-!

Roxas: [chuckles and raises his hand] I get the idea. This guy talks some serious and potentially dangerous stuff, but so far he's been using it for the benefit of his subjects, namely you people.

The two brothers nervously chuckle in response.

Edward Elric: Heh, well? Did we help at all?

Roxas stands up and sighs deeply, trying to answer as confidently as he can.

Roxas: Honestly? I'm still not entirely comfortable yet but… I guess I'm leaning in his favor, maybe? I don't know, I guess now's the time I'll have to confront the guy himself. That fact that some people fear him despite everything he's done is a red flag to me, but current evidence shows that he has yet to actually **do** anything to warrant their fear, something these people, including you guys, admit.

Alphonse Elric: I guess that… he just seems too good to be true, you know? Everything he does defies what we know about Equivalent Exchange, from a scientific standpoint as well as an ethical and moral one. He's abused the natural order to help everyone and it shows, and we have yet to feel any ramifications for it. A lot of us have already accepted it and moved on, but…

Edward Elric: As someone who's seen those ramifications first-hand, we cannot help but dread what could happen in the future if Doom can no longer control everything the way he likes to, and if we'd be punished as much as he would be, despite having no choice but to go along with him.

Roxas: And that's kinda what I'm worried about to. To be honest with you guys, I'm essentially retired from this life, but… [summons his keyblade] as long as I'm still able to wield this, part of me feels like I owe it to my friends back home to look into it, to make sure I'm not acting selfish and leaving them to a possibly worse fate than the one we overcame not that long ago.

Roxas de-summoned his keyblade, nodded to the two brothers in thanks, and began walking out the door. Ed and Al looked at each other and then quickly stood up.

Edward Elric: Hey Roxas, I was… a little harsh before. After explaining yourself to us, I understood you better in terms of what you're doing and why. So…

Alphonse Elric: Before you "head off into the storm" as it were, would you care to at least enjoy dinner with us before you go? It's the least we could do since you're taking time out of your life and checking in on us, people you don't even know, and making sure we're doing fine under this new regime.

Roxas: Thank you both for your time, you guys cooperated and answered my questions in detail, which is all I needed. But… I'm not quite ready to be around a bunch of people yet. I've got some personal issues I'm dealing with, which was the main reason I left.  
That said… I don't mind taking a couple of sandwiches or something with me?

The two brothers at first looked somewhat saddened that Roxas turned down their invitation, but then smiled in agreement to pack a meal for him.

Ω

Roxas was now waving back at the Elric family while holding a small bag of food in his other hand. Keeping in mind what Mustang said to him earlier, as well as the full accounts that the Elric brothers gave him, Roxas summoned his glider, jumped on it, and sped off. The site was alarming and awesome to the family of alchemists…

Roxas read over Mustang's map that lay on the floor of the glider while he ate, using his other hand to conjure fire to act as a light source now that it was nighttime. The food was pretty damn good, Roxas gleefully admitted to himself. Not only did it ease the hunger pangs, but it helped ease his anxiety of finally heading to the Emperor himself to confront him face-to-face.

Roxas felt that same unsettling feeling that the Elrics felt, despite this man seemingly doing so much good, there was something about him that just felt off, hell, this **whole** situation felt wrong. He honestly didn't know if finally talking with Doom would erase this uncertainty once and for all, but he had hoped, oh God he hoped it would.

It wasn't long before Roxas finally reached the country of Latveria. Even at night, it was just as beautiful of a site as Amestris. In the distance Roxas saw a large town, roughly the same size as the Amestrian capital, if not somewhat larger, and just beyond the town, a massive castle overlooking it.

The buildings in the town looked different than Amestris. Where as Amestrian buildings gave off a colonial aesthetic, these ones here looked more Victorian, and weren't quite as bunched up. The castle, however, had a very different visual, it looked far more advanced than any building Roxas has seen so far in this world, in fact it reminded him a little of The Castle That Never Was, though with a slight Victorian vibe itself.

It was a truly bizarre visual even to Roxas, probably because of its stark contrast with the surrounding town and land. For someone who seemed to respect nature as much as industry, Doom definitely went for the full futuristic imperial look.

Roxas then noticed a bright light turn on in one of the castle's balconies, shining out into the night sky as if signaling him to land there. _Was he expecting me?_ Roxas thought to himself, and this put him on slight alert. _Well, if so, at least he's making it easy for me to enter_.

Roxas folded his map, putting it and the now empty bag of food in his pockets, and stood up on his glider as he flew to the seemingly convivial light. When he approached the balcony, Roxas jumped off his glider as it dematerialized. He was greeted by more Doombots, only they did not act in a hostile manner. Instead they motioned Roxas to follow them, and he obliged. It was time to meet the Emperor, Doctor Doom, himself.

As the Doombots led Roxas, he admired the inner decor of the castle, which was yet again in complete contrast with its outer design. The interior resembled a typical castle's rooms and hallways, with paintings and armor filling up much of the space, the walls made of stone, columns holding up the ceiling, carpets covering much of the floor, etc. Roxas felt like he should've expected this, given the castle's Victorian design in spite of the futuristic outer walls made of some advanced material, but still he was amazed. It was rather comfy-looking despite the size and its owner.

They finally arrived at two large gates which opened on their own. Inside, Roxas saw what clearly looked like the throne room, a rather large chamber with its own decorations highlighting that a king belongs in here. Roxas entered as the Doombots remained by the doors, and as he walked further into the throne room, he saw before him on the other side of the room, someone in metal armor and a green cloak sitting on the throne itself, holding a glass of wine. Roxas swallowed as he witnessed the man he came here to see, the Emperor himself.

Doctor Doom: At least, you arrive, "Roxas", or more appropriately "Ventus". Seeing as how you have "come for me", what is it you **intend** to do now?


	7. Chapter 7

Even from over 30 ft away, Roxas could hear Doom's booming voice envelope the entire throne room, and could feel Doom's gaze fixed on him, as if he had just pissed off a god. It took everything he had to stop himself from trembling, but he could still feel sweat dripping down his face. Finally, Roxas shook his head, and valiantly approached the Emperor.

Roxas: How did you know I was coming? Even before I met up with Admiral Char? And how do you know my name?

Doctor Doom: I know **all** that encompasses my empire, as well as lands I have set my eyes upon seizing. My satellites orbit worlds I control, and I have various eyes patrolling the lands, and probes scouting worlds I have yet to assimilate. Some you can see, and many you don't. If I am to successfully claim victory over a single opponent, or an entire planet, it is prudent to conduct vigorous research before a battle. Only fool would jump into the fray while blinded, though I assure **you**, boy, I have long surpassed any mortal opponent, and most _immortal_ ones, to be defeated even under the face of ignorance. It would take **considerable** time, power, and skill to best me as I am now.

And Roxas could believe it too, if the testimonies of his subjects are to be believed. He won over a ship from a pilot who's supposedly as powerful as Roxas, and he single-handedly defeated a being on this very planet that had obtained godhood, as well as claimed all the world's knowledge without flinching. Roxas had yet to see any of this for himself, but he believed the words of Char, Mustang, and the Elrics; the fear in the latter's eyes were enough to convince Roxas that Doom is at least someone not to be underestimated.

Doctor Doom: As for your names, I once travelled to your sector of planets, and in my journey I encountered several figures that left an impression upon me. While I had long mastered the sciences offered to me on my home world, it was in your solar system that I acquired valuable insight into magic, as well as the nature of Light and Darkness.  
For example, the self-proclaimed "Ansem The Wise" illuminated me on his research of the human being, including the Heart, the Body, and the Soul. However, while intriguing, I found his views to be too philosophical and metaphysical, as he lacked the scientific approach that would have spared him the eventual betrayal of his pupils. Still, his research proved valuable when applied with magics, as the discovery of Heartless and Nobodies would project me into the field of multi-dimensional theory, and eventually, the theory of the multi-verse.  
And while there was a brief time involving the Unversed epidemic, Ansem never did record or discuss the happenings of the Soul of a being once it is expunged from its vessel, and the heart corrupted, and as such he still has yet to study the fate of such souls, but I have.

He definitely liked the sound of his own voice, yet Roxas couldn't find himself to tease him on it. Every word he spoke sounded like a valuable lesson in its own, and Roxas was both overwhelmed and intrigued by this man.

Roxas: Oh? And what exactly have you discovered?

Doom then rose out of his chair, which nearly made Roxas flinch in his spot. Doom then slowly descended the stairs from his throne, the boots of his footsteps making loud clanging noises, and approached Roxas. As he got closer, Roxas saw just how tall this man really was, at least in his armor anyway. Finally he stood less than a meter from Roxas, and the boy saw that the Doctor stood a towering 6 ft 7 inches in the armor, but as far as Roxas was concerned, the man was practically a giant.

Nonetheless, Roxas stood his ground, he had looked up into the eyes of someone who mistreated him in his various lives, and he defied those who have tried to control him, so he would not shrink before some egotistical megalomaniac in a suit of armor.

Doctor Doom: Hollows.

Roxas: What?

Doctor Doom: You asked what I had discovered of the souls whose hearts turned to Heartless, and bodies into Nobodies. The souls become Hollows, or Kishins, depending on which world you visit. Regardless, these souls linger as with their Heartless and Nobody counter-parts. While it seems that a Keyblade Wielder need only purify 2 of the 3 components that make up a being in order to fully revive them, should the soul linger for too long without being reunited with his heart and body, and should that soul then fail to pass onto the afterlife, that soul then deteriorates and becomes a Hollow.  
These malevolent spirits are driven by an eternal and insatiable hunger to devour other souls, living or dead, to fill the void caused by its descent into such a state. Most Hollows remain as mindless creatures, seeking only to devour the most potent of souls, not unlike their brethren whom you have purified.

Doom then faced an open door-way in his thrown which lead into another balcony, and walked towards it. This allowed Roxas to finally take a breather, as well as absorb all this new information. He wondered how the Keyblade Wielders did not know of these "Hollows" that Doom spoke of, let alone encounter them before.

From between Doom and Roxas, a hologram materialized from projectors that were placed all over the room, helping to illustrate the Doom's explanation.

Doctor Doom: However, as with the Heartless and Nobodies, the more powerful human souls are able to retain a humanoid appearance, as well as some degree of intelligence, making them more dangerous than the average Hollow. Regardless of their form, all Hollows wear unique masks, evidently based on the hearts they lost as humans, and therefore appear to correspond with the type of Heartless and Nobody their hearts and bodies assumed.

Roxas saw several types of Hollows on the hologram, their masks, and the different shapes they took. They were indeed very similar to the Heartless and Nobodies, right down to their behaviors and characteristics.

Roxas: How… how did you discover this? When not even the Keyblade Wielders mentioned anything about them? I've been to many worlds, and fought countless Heartless and Nobodies, and yet-

Doctor Doom: It's most likely that many Heartless and Nobodies were purified before you ever got the chance to encounter a Hollow. Any straggling souls that remained due to prolonged impurification were then dealt with by guardian-spirits known as "Reapers". It is the duty of these Reapers to send souls, whether they come from the naturally deceased, or lingering souls resulting from Heartless and Nobodies, into the afterlife. As such, there was never a need for living Keyblade Wielders to encounter the Hollows, as most Hollows that manifested fell into the jurisdiction of the Reapers, with a minority of them resulting from the lack of a Keyblade Wielder's timely duties.

Roxas supposed it made sense, as it did appear to explain why Hollows were never mentioned, let alone encountered by other Wielders. He continued to be awe-struck with how Doom came about with such knowledge. How did he travel to various worlds, or "planets" as he was calling them, without the means that Roxas and his friends had?

Roxas: How do you so much about Keyblade Wielders? Hell, how were you able to get around as much as you did? From what I understood, all worlds were closed off from the Lanes Between, and no one that we were aware of had developed the means to travel beyond their world, at least not without help from a Keyblade.

Doom, having reached the balcony to observe the town below, turned and faced Roxas. By now the hologram had deactivated so as to give the boy an undisputed reply. Doom held out his hand and summoned a Keyblade of his own, an act that completely surprised Roxas. Not only that, but the Keyblade Doom held looked familiar, it was the Keyblade Ventus Roxas obtained when he fought and defeated the Mysterious Figure, who he would later find out was a time-travelling Xehanort.

Doctor Doom: A Keyblade is merely a tool, one of many under my possession. A tool is only as good as its master, and as with all my devices, I studied everything there was to know about **this** particular tool.

Roxas: That… that blade, it's-

Doctor Doom: A weapon of MY design, this was the Keyblade I created when I was under the tutelage of the fledgling order of the Keyblade Wielders many years ago. The "Doomsday" Keyblade was its designation, though my peers and superiors did not acknowledge that name, nor many things subjects I preached while under their wings. No, this Keyblade would end up inheriting the title of "No Name", as was that of the blade of my former master who also had a falling out with the Order.

Roxas's heart skipped a beat when he heard Doom mention the "No Name" Keyblade. Suddenly it appeared as if everything was starting to make sense, on who Doom was, and how he came to know everything he did.

Roxas: Your… master?

Doctor Doom: Yes…. His blade was originally called the "Gazing Eye", an ancient blade that was said to have been created from the first Keyblade Master once he had gained control of the X-Blade. My master inherited it from his master, and his master before him. The last one to wield the Gazing Eye was my very master, Xehanort.

The utterance of that name nearly made Roxas sick, as a shiver crawled down his spine. If he was a student of Master Xehanort, then…

Roxas: Then… you're Victor? You were Xehanort's prized student?

Doctor Doom: The very same, I am VICTOR VON DOOM!

He raised his arms as he declared his name, his booming voice causing the throne room to vibrate. Roxas then took the momentary silence to process this revelation, and couldn't help but start laughing, something which intrigued the Doctor.

Roxas: Of course… of course! It IS you, it HAD to be you! YOU'RE Victor, after all! Ha!

Doctor Doom: I take it he actually bothered to mention me?

Roxas: Oh, MORE than mention! After having to hear that old bastard bring up your name and achievements more times than I could bear, hearing how wonderful and perfect you were, building up such impossible expectations to meet, let alone surpass, I finally get to meet you, and you STILL managed to surpass my own expectations. Of course Xehanort loved you so much, how couldn't he? Even now, I never had a chance to top you…

Without realizing it, Doom had somehow closed the gap between him and Roxas after he left for the balcony, and once again towered before the boy, this time closer than before. He then did something Roxas did not expect at all, he placed his gauntlet hand gently on Roxas' head, and patted him.

Doctor Doom: That broken old man was merely taking his frustrations out on you, boy. It is clear he could not comprehend his loss at my hand, and impatiently took on another student to resume his plans. I was glad to hear of his… demise. He should not have compared you to me, for I was born under… particular circumstances. While you are correct in your assessment that you could not hope to match me, your own upbringing made you into a strong and fine young man, and your exploits are nothing to gloss over.

Doom then took his hand off of Roxas, and the boy looked up to him in a different way. Despite puffing his ego every chance he could get, and despite him literally looking down on Roxas, Doom somehow emphasized with him. Doom, a man that even Xehanort spoke highly of, managed to treat Roxas more humanely than his former master ever did, and that included Xemnas. Doom was a man whose ego was fed to by others, a man who probably was never told he was wrong, and who allegedly viewed everyone else as beneath him, yet here, now, he spoke almost as an equal to Roxas, a revelation that nearly brought the boy to tears. He managed to hold them back, but when he spoke, his voice wavered a bit.

Roxas: He… he said you defeated him, when he tried to possess you after he was done grooming you, but you were onto him, and in the end you beat him. Is that true?

The two looked at each other, with Roxas forming a grin on his face, and the two chuckled as the reminisced the old master's blow to his pride.

Doctor Doom: Indeed I did, though, not without cost…

Doom then placed his hand on his mask, and traced his fingers across his face. When he noticed Roxas looking at him peculiarly, Doom quickly turned away.

Roxas: What did he do to you?

Doctor Doom: Let's just say he left a permanent reminder, a final insult before his defeat, a reminder that I vowed never to look upon again. I wanted all traces of that man removed from my life, save for the lessons he bequeathed onto me as his student, lessons I have put to efficient use.

Based on how he acted, Roxas wondered if he was scarred or damaged somehow. He may have beaten Xehanort single-handedly in a serious fight, but that man wasn't a slouch as a warrior, so it was expected if Doom didn't win the battle unscathed.

Roxas: Heh, you know, I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's a shame you weren't there to see him die.

Doom turned again to face Roxas, and squinted as the boy spoke.

Roxas: I'm ashamed to admit I wasn't the one to put him down, but dammit, what I'd give to have actually seen his face when he died, especially if you turned up at the last second to give him one final surprise…

Doctor Doom: Indeed, it must have been satisfying enough for you to at least take comfort in his passing, though it is best to be careful of what you wish for, Ventus. Simply appreciate that he can do no more harm.

Roxas flinched.

Roxas: You called me "Ventus" again, why?

Doctor Doom: Because that is who you are, and those who have taken refuge in your mind are false identities, none of which should be enabled to living.

Roxas: Ventus was a weak little boy who couldn't do anything for his friends. But Roxas-

Doctor Doom: Roxas was a tool from the moment of his birth until his inevitable reunion with his whole, Sora. In fact, Roxas never got the chance to even exist technically, as the vessel he used was YOUR body, and the Keyblades he wielded were only because of YOU and Sora. Not even Xemnas was able to wield a Keyblade, but Roxas, he was a Nobody that was never able to manifest, but you the whole time.

Roxas: Even so, I was able to do more as Roxas than I ever did as Ventus, so that's the name I choose to go by.

Doctor Doom: Oh? And what of your _other_ names?

Roxas: What? What do you-

Doctor Doom: VANITAS!

That name caused a sharp pain to pierce through Roxas, almost making him fall over.

Doctor Doom: XION!

That name, a name Roxas had never heard of, caused a different kind of pain, one of nostalgia and longing, but why? Why did tears start coming out of his eyes now?

Doctor Doom: SORA!

Why that name? Ventus Roxas wasn't bound to Sora anymore, right? Now that Vanitas was back where he belonged, he didn't need Sora anymore, he didn't need anyone.

Roxas, or whoever was currently occupying his mind, raised his head and faced Doom in a furious rage, and his eyes glowed yellow.

Roxas: THAT'S ENOUGH!

Roxas assumed a stance similar to Vanitas Riku, and summoned his keyblade Void Gear, then lunged at Doom, who casually blocked his attack with his hand. Roxas continued striking at Doom's hand to no effect, until Doom grabbed the Keyblade and hurled Roxas back, hitting the floor. Roxas then jumped backwards and pounced again, only to jump from side to side, in front and behind Doom, trying to disorient him. But Doom merely stood still, and in that moment, his eyes seemed to change as well, with a pentagram-like rune forming over his pupils and irises. He continued to wait for the schizophrenic boy to attack.

Finally, Roxas decided to try another hit at Doom, only to fail again as Doom summoned his own keyblade and deflected Roxas' blow, pushing him back again. The fight had barely started, but already Roxas was panting.

Doctor Doom: So long as you avoid those who have all stolen your identity at some point in your life, most of whom have given you nothing but pain, you will **never** know peace, and you will **never** accept yourself, Ventus!

Roxas: What are you talking about?! I AM ME! NOBODY ELSE!

Doctor Doom: AND WHO ARE YOU?

Roxas: I'M….. I'm, aagghhh!

Roxas then shifted stances and replaced his keyblade with two others, Two Become One and Bond of Flame, then resumed his attack on Doom. Roxas zipped through the field in a ray of light, then suddenly appeared before the Doctor, who looked unfazed at the boy's aggressive attacks.

Roxas unleashed his combo attack on Doom, who was not moved from his spot as he effortlessly blocked all of Roxas' attacks. When Roxas jumped back and crossed his blades for his combo finisher, Doom lowered his guard, tempting the enraged boy to finish him off. Roxas gladly obliged, but then-

Doctor Doom: Defense.

Right as Roxas struck passed Doom, the Doctor's Reflega barrier manifested, and as soon as Roxas passed by it during his attack, the barrier unleashed a flurry of explosions that he was unable to avoid in time. Doom then motioned his hand to clear the dust and smoke in the wake of the explosions, revealing Roxas had sustained damage, but not enough to defeat him.

Doctor Doom: Are you quite finished?

Roxas started his combo again, but this time each swing unleashed a pillar of light that dashed towards Doom, only to be deflected by his force field which, unlike the Reflect spell and its variants, does not disappear after a single hit, and can take severe punishment from nearly all kinds of projectiles.

Doctor Doom: Your needless acrobatics and reckless use of magic will not help you win this fight, boy!

Roxas did not let up as he then initiated his Limit Break, Magic Hour. Small pillars of light with Nobody insignias surrounded Roxas, and he floated up into the air, shooting various beams of light all around him and Doom, encasing them in a giant cage of light. Then Roxas fired orbs of light that manifested from behind him, and homed in on Doom. The Doctor just stood there as his force field tanked the hits, all the while analyzing Roxas with his helmet as well as his magic eyes. The scan revealed "abnormal brain patterns" in the boy, something Doom found rather obvious but still wanted to confirm.

When his Limit finally finished, Roxas fell back to the ground, panting but still willing to fight, holding his Keyblades in the air. Doom then noticed the boy's eyes flickering, as if the current persona was about to give in, before he shook his head and tried to resume the fight. Doom, however, was no longer willing to amuse the boy, and was more than ready to end this fight. Doom dashed to Roxas before he could react, grabbing Roxas' interlocked keyblades in his hand, while relieving his other hand of his own keyblade.

Doctor Doom: Time to wake up now.

In an instant, he pulled Roxas' keyblades free, and with his other hand, pushed Roxas backwards with an magic-enhanced punch. Roxas was sent flying backwards and into a wall, before momentarily knocked unconscious.

Doom took this opportunity to analyze the two keyblades he now held, twirling them in his hands with effortless elegance.

Doctor Doom: Hmm, these are fine swords.

Behind him, an X-shaped portal opened, and Vergil emerged, with wounds from his previous battle still mostly fresh on his person. The two looked at each other and the current state of the room.

Vergil: Did something happen while I was gone?

Doctor Doom: Nothing I couldn't handle, which is more than what I can say for you. It appears you ran into more trouble than expected, did you underestimate the islanders? Or did I _overestimate_ **you**?

Vergil let Doom's snide remark slide, as his wounds began to heal rapidly.

Vergil: That's what happens when you order me on reconnaissance without killing, Victor. Those two teens you had me monitor were pretty spry despite enjoying peace time. And what about you? I've seen you dish out worse, seems you've gotten soft.

He motioned at Roxas' unconscious body, indicating he had less visible wounds than one would normally incur from Doom's wrath.

Doctor Doom: This boy is of no threat to me, nor am I attempting to recruit him or scold him, as I've had to with my Grand Servants. No… this boy is unwell, Vergil, his mind is broken, shattered, and in need of mending.

Roxas gasped into consciousness, then coughed as he realized the injuries his body had taken. He then looked up and saw Doom, and Vergil behind him. Roxas slowly got back on his feet, wiping the dirt from his clothes. As far as Doom could tell, he was normal again, for now, as was the intent of that last attack. He knew he didn't need to be so hard on Roxas, but it was also to prove the incalculable gap in power between the two, if only for Doom himself.

Roxas: I… I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me.

Doctor Doom: Dissociative Identity Disorder, at least it will be if you allow it to fester.

He then tossed Roxas' keyblades back to him, allowing him to catch them and de-summon them.

Doctor Doom: Whoever treated you prior to our meeting did a rather decent job if I do say so myself, but it is not the same as a cure, Ventus, you must confront those who have taken refuge in your mind, and **remind** them who **commands** your body. Take Vergil here for example.

Roxas faced the new individual, who in turn gazed intently at Roxas.

Doctor Doom: He and his brother are cambions, half-demon and half-human. His brother rejects his demon heritage, while Vergil embraces it.

Vergil: It's how I was able to get stronger and overpower my brother. I cannot do what I must if I do not accept myself, ALL of myself. It's why he's never beaten me in a fight, well, aside from one time… But he will never truly rival me, not until he accepts who he is.

Roxas: And why doesn't your brother accept his demon side? After all this time? He must have a good reason, and he did manage to beat you once, I'm betting he's no slouch in a fight, is he?

Vergil: No, not at all, but he could still be so much more if he-

Roxas: Well maybe he doesn't want to be more than what he needs to be. Look, I get what you're both trying to do, and… thank you, I really mean that. But if I was gonna confront my past, I wouldn't have come all the way here to do that. I just… want to start a new life, that's all. I **will** get myself under control, but on my own terms.

Doctor Doom: Then I trust your own terms will suffice, Ventus, t'would be a shame if you collapsed under your own mind.

Roxas couldn't help but chuckle at Doom's persistent use of the name "Ventus", though he didn't have the strength to argue any further.

Roxas: Well, it wouldn't be the first time. I don't think my memories will ever mesh with one another, they're all too busy fighting for control.

Doctor Doom: Then I repeat: **command** them, if you cannot reconcile them. Each persona possesses powerful abilities that will be useful to you in the future, so it is imperative that you gain control of them as soon as possible.

Roxas then looked around and saw the damage to the throne room, and felt bad.

Roxas: Again, I'm… truly sorry for what I did.

Doctor Doom: Inconsequential, I can rebuild this room in an instant.

Vergil: Besides, Victor doesn't let just anyone attack him in his home, let alone walk out of here alive. You must have made quite an impression while I was gone.

Roxas: I honestly don't know what impression I could've given off, other than a bad one after what just happened.

Doctor Doom: You took it upon yourself to investigate me, despite your quest to relieve yourself of your memories. You acted upon your obligations as a Keyblade Wielder, despite forfeiting the role, all to ensure the safety of your friends whom you left behind. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for, Ventus.

Roxas didn't know how to accept Doom's praise, and was quite embarrassed.

Roxas: That aside, your abilities, they're quite something. That shield, how did you do that? Not the Reflect spell, but the one after that?

Doctor Doom: Hmm, you should know that energy can be manifested and expressed in various forms. But no matter the source emitting it, be it magic or science, energy is energy, and when applied correctly, can be used to nullify any attack.

Roxas: I don't understand, how else can energy be expressed? Aside from technology, my Keyblade gives me access to all kinds of magical energy I'll ever need. From offensive to defensive spells, transformations, long-distance travel-

Doctor Doom: Oh, there is SO much you have yet to learn. Your Keyblade grants you convenient access to the most basic and primal form of life-energy, Kingdom Hearts, but of the various planets you have yet to explore, their populations have their own methods of utilizing and expressing the energy in in their own life-force via different wavelengths. In addition to the nervous system, individuals also possess a Magic Circuit System, this is what allows them to manipulate life energy from within their bodies or from external sources.  
They believe that their unique types of energy are genetic, which is true to some extent, as anyone is capable of utilizing their life-energy and expressing its various forms, but it is within these worlds and how they evolved differently over time that affected the wavelengths of their life-energies. A person in one world cannot express their life force the same way as one would in other.

Roxas: What do you mean?

Doctor Doom: In my travels, I have seen various cultures refer to their life energies as Chi, Chakra, Nen, Soul Pressure, and Soul Resonance, to name a few. Different wavelengths grant different abilities, different ways of expressing their life energy, often colloquially known as "magic", even though it is incorrect to refer to it as such, since someone with little control over their own life force can still feasibly wield magic, which typically involves controlling life-energies outside of their own bodies.  
But someone who's body has naturally adapted to the wavelength corresponding with Chakra cannot utilize the powers of those who's energy wavelengths correspond with Nen, not through natural means at least. However, those who command magic, especially those such as yourself who command a Keyblade, a weapon with abilities based on emotion, can potentially wield all types of life-energy expressions, and with your Keyblade acting as a catalyst, it becomes that much easier for you to tap into the powers of others.

Roxas: So… when you say someone is using "magic", they're controlling life-energy outside of their bodies, where as controlling the life-energy from within yourself is different than magic?

Doom: Correct.

Roxas: But both require these "magic circuits" to allow any kind of life-energy to flow through someone if they're gonna use them in some way?

Doom: Indeed, and thanks to your Keyblade, you are able to copy another's personal life-energy wavelength, an ability your fellow colleague, Master Aqua, referred to as Dimension Links. You can potentially wield the powers of Nen, Chakra, and so on. I must say, for someone to have discovered a lost art once taught to Keyblade Wielders in ancient times, even if she merely stumbled upon it for different reasons, she is quite gifted.

Roxas: Heh, yeah, I know.

Doctor Doom: You utilized an unconventional form of D-Link when you joined your heart with Sora, enabling you to wield more than one Keyblade at once, even when your very being was fractured. Sora himself had to rely on magic clothing to dual-wield, but even then, it was temporary.

Roxas: Ok, how the hell did you know that? There's only so much that your satellites and robots can show you.

Doctor Doom: My mastery over magic grants me almost limitless abilities, including telepathy.

Roxas: Huh, I don't recall giving you permission to read my mind.

Doctor Doom: You didn't. Before we conversed, you were an invader as far as I was concerned, one I allowed to roam my home. I investigated you as you investigated me.

Roxas: Fair enough, I guess.

Roxas then turned and walked toward the balcony. As he did so, he cracked his back and stretched, relieving the tension from the fight. Doom and Vergil followed.

Doctor Doom: Did I pass your inspection?

Roxas: Ha! You still worried about that?

Doctor Doom: The less enemies I have, the better

Roxas: Well… screw it, yeah, you "pass", and I'm relieved too, honestly. You may have praised me for putting myself on the line for my friends, but that wasn't entirely true. I mean, yeah, part of me did want to do that, but, also-

Doctor Doom: All the more reason to practice on gaining full control of yourself, Ventus. You cannot start a new life if your old one haunts you relentlessly.

Roxas: Yeah, I know.

Doctor Doom: But I am pleased to know that we will have no future grievances.

Roxas: **We** don't, but… my friends back home, they still might not see you like I do, not at first anyway. And your whole "Imperial Expansion" didn't exactly help your rep over there.

Doom looked at Roxas as the boy looked on at the town below, choosing his next words carefully.

Doctor Doom: If you are any indication, as well as reports from my agents whom I have dispersed all over your solar system for **peaceful** reconnaissance, your friends might be weary of me, but they will accept me just as you have.

Vergil's face tilted as Doom spoke, and Doom glanced back at him.

Roxas: You really think so?

Doctor Doom: They have every right to be suspicious of me, but I have no doubt there will be a peaceful transition of power once I arrive, especially when they see that I am one of them, one of _you_.

Roxas then turned back to face Doom.

Roxas: That reminds me, you said you travelled worlds before you got a Keyblade, how did you manage that?

Doctor Doom: And I told you before, I was born under peculiar circumstances, such that it enabled me to bypass the barriers between worlds, however limited my abilities were at the time.

Roxas: What do you mean?

Doctor Doom: I shall tell you my story another time, for now, much has happened for you in one day, I imagine you are fatigued.

Roxas: Hmph, you could say that, in fact, I was planning on leaving this world soon, now that I see that you're ok to me.

Doctor Doom: Oh? You will not stay and attempt to start a new life here?

Roxas: Your conquest will overlap with my "old life" eventually, and soon. I'm not ready to get back into that mess, and since relations with you and The Order of Light back home are sounding promising, I'm fine with letting you guys deal with each other without starting a fight.

Doctor Doom: I understand. Do you know where you will go?

Roxas: Ahh… no, I don't. Any pointers? Preferably a world you haven't conquered yet? That way I'll have some time to get in touch with myself before you arrive?

Doctor Doom: Indeed, give me your Gummiphone for a moment.

Roxas wasn't surprised at this point that Doom even knew about that, let alone had a way of adding to it or improving it, and so he gave it to Doom. The Doctor then attached a USB-like device to the phone, downloading some kind of program, before giving it back to Roxas.

Roxas: Aaaannddd… what did you just do?

Doctor Doom: I gave your phone a Global Positioning System application, or a GPS app, though it does far more than mere "global" mapping, as you will see. I have also instilled coordinates to a world I believe is best suited for your abilities as well as your current goal. In this world, Nen is the primary expression of life energy. There are no major conflicts for you to embroil yourself in, foreign or domestic, and while I have my reservations with it, their annual Hunter's Exam shall put your abilities to good use while you discover yourself.

Roxas: And what makes you think I still wanna use my Keyblade when I finally settle down?

Doctor Doom: Answer me honestly, do you really see yourself retiring your Keyblade permanently?

Roxas looked down and thought hard, and in the end smirked.

Roxas: No, I guess not.

Doctor Doom: As I thought, based on your recent performance. Part of you still craves what the Keyblade offers you: adventure and combat. You would find yourself jaded if you only seek a peaceful life, and at the very least, undergoing the trials of a Hunter on this planet will give you plenty of chances to vent yourself should you find that you're losing control again, as long as you aim yourself at those deserving of your wrath.

Doom was right on that account, Roxas knew he would eventually lose control again unless he confronted his memories, and as much as he wanted to move on, the Keyblade will always be a part of him, and he knew it.

Roxas: Well, alright then. I'll check it out, oh, and Victor?

Doom's head tilted as Roxas called him by his first name.

Roxas: Thank you, for your help and… for everything really. If things, no, _when_ things work out between you and the Order back home, I know you'll be a big help to them. They just got started on reviving the Keyblade Wielders, and I'm glad you showed up before any major threats arose, they're not exactly in good shape to deal with any new big-bads after what happened with Xehanort.

Doctor Doom: As a token of my gratitude for you and your friends keeping Xehanort at bay for over 10 years, preventing him from gaining full control of Kingdom Hearts, you have my word that I will, to the best of my ability, instigate peaceful negotiations between myself and the Order of Light.

Under other circumstances, Roxas wouldn't have bought that bullshit, especially since Doom sounded half-sincere at best when he said it, but after having met the man, and even having fought him, Roxas was convinced enough that his friends were in good hands, or he managed to successfully lie to himself that they were.

Roxas: Well, I guess I'll see you soon, then?

Doctor Doom: I wish you safe travels, and good luck.

Roxas nodded, then jumped off the balcony and onto his glider, and dashed off into the sky towards the world of Nen users.

Vergil: I didn't know you had a sense of humor, even almost made _me_ laugh.

Doctor Doom: I did not lie, not entirely. I will attempt peaceful negotiations as we have been doing, but beyond that, I cannot promise his friends' safety if they resist.

Vergil: I guess you really are a man of your word.

Doctor Doom: My _exact_ word.

Vergil: And the world you just sent him to?

Doctor Doom: I have several agents in place already, sending back valuable information. Here.

Doom tossed something to Vergil, two small earpieces, advanced technology.

Doctor Doom: You are to be deployed to that planet as well. While your powers should suffice when defending yourself against others, and even make the locals mistake you for a conjurer or emitter, you are unable to see other aspects of Nen, which are invisible to the naked eye.

Vergil then equipped the ear-pieces, and almost immediately a holographic visor formed over his eyes.

Doctor Doom: You'll find that they can do far more than aid you in visualizing all types of Nen. They include global tracking, communication, translation of various languages, monitoring vitals and other bodily conditions, and so much more, and you'll find it rather user-friendly.

Vergil: Why am I specifically going to this planet, though?

Doctor Doom: You are to accompany one of my Grand Servants for your assignment. You two are to acquire Hunter licenses, which will grant you access to restricted information in that world's network. You are then to acquire notoriety and status in the Heavenly Arena, both of which will aid me for my upcoming arrival.

Vergil: And what about that "Order of Light"?

Doctor Doom: Do not fret, I also have an agent there as well. Nothing escapes my gaze. But now is the time to deploy my Grand Servants, for our meeting with the remaining Keyblade Masters is now imminent, and I will have to start utilizing my full strength!

Doom then walked back into the throne room, and with a wave of his hand, a massive circular rune appeared on the floor.

Vergil: You already finished preparations for summoning them?

Doctor Doom: I have already **summoned** them. Behold, the commanders of my armada!

Seven lights rose from around the rune, and from them, Vergil saw silhouettes forming.

Doctor Doom: Grand Saber, Arthur!

Grand Lancer, Karna!

Grand Archer, Gilgamesh!

Grand Rider, Ozymandias!

Grand Castor, Solomon!

Grand Assassin, King Hassan!

And Grand Berserker, Asura!

The lights depleted, and in their place, seven beings stood, all emanating enough power to impress even Vergil.

Doctor Doom: And now, the next phase of my conquest BEGINS!

* * *

To be continued in Kingdom Hearts - Conquest:

Sora and Kairi - Epic Mickey

Riku - Fairy Tail

Roxas - HunterxHunter


End file.
